Transcript Highlights:

• But Congress already conducted a similar experiment through the Durbin Amendment.
• Just in Massachusetts, in fact, fraud has doubled since the Durbin Amendment, since 2011, and according
• legislature would decide to lift that prohibition, they're not authorizing surcharging, they're permitting
• I mean, there were a lot of bonuses given out after the Durbin Amendment passed for retail treasurers
• You know, back in 2010, the Durbin Amendment on debit cards—it's been studied by the Federal Reserve,

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on the future of payments and sales transactions by credit card heard extensive testimony from credit union, banking, retail, restaurant, and payments-industry representatives about proposals to limit interchange fees, especially on the tax and tip portions of transactions. Several witnesses opposed state-level restrictions, arguing they would create a patchwork of rules, burden state-chartered institutions, raise compliance complexity, and ultimately reduce resources for fraud prevention, cybersecurity, rewards, and access to credit. Others, including retail and merchant advocates, said swipe fees are a significant and growing cost for small businesses and that states should consider reforms such as limiting fees on taxes and tips, allowing surcharging, improving transparency in merchant contracts, and studying collection costs more closely. Witnesses also discussed recent legal and regulatory developments, including Illinois’s interchange-fee law, OCC and NCUA interim rules, and the ongoing Visa/Mastercard antitrust settlement. Industry representatives said the Illinois law has been delayed and is likely preempted for most transactions, while merchant advocates argued the state efforts and court rulings show that networks and banks do not set fees competitively. The proposed antitrust settlement was described by some as a meaningful but limited merchant victory, with temporary fee reductions and expanded surcharge/steering rights, while others said it still falls short of structural reform. The commission members pressed witnesses on the practical effects of fees, the cost of cash, whether merchants can pass costs through, and whether small businesses are actually seeing benefits from the current system. Members repeatedly emphasized the need for a fair middle ground that protects both small businesses and the payment system. No substantive votes or policy actions were taken beyond accepting testimony, and the meeting ended with adjournment after all scheduled witnesses had spoken.

Transcript Highlights:

• shorter-term permits, uh, up until last year.
• shorter-term permits, uh, up until last year.
• shorter-term permits, uh, up until last year.
• Or some permit.
• On this website, you can access all of our permits, licenses, and permits, whether they're from State

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sirois: Indeed it is. >> Chair Canady: Any testimony on the amendment, any debate on the amendment?
• You are recognized to explain your amendment.
• Abbott: You are recognized to explain your amendment.
• Seeing none, is there public testimony on the amendment? Debate on the amendment.
• The amendment is adopted. Back on the bill as amended, public testimony on the bill.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and began by welcoming students and coaches participating in the inaugural Sunshine State Debate. Members then heard and voted on a series of education-related bills, with most measures receiving favorable reports by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The first bill, HB 1081, created a Cybersecurity Internship Clearance Readiness Program in the Department of Commerce for NCACE-designated universities and Florida College System institutions; a friendly amendment expanded access to private schools, and the bill passed 19-0. HB 1201 updated Florida’s epilepsy/seizure plan law to clarify protections for charter school students, require acceptance of physician-submitted plans, extend training validity to five years, and expand training to regular bus drivers; epilepsy advocates supported it, and it passed 19-0. HB 851 required annual autism-specific professional learning opportunities for teachers and school-based administrators, and it also passed 19-0. HB 615, dealing with IEPs, required quicker parent notice when services are missed, faster access to service logs, individualized parent orientation, and standardized district service logs; parents and advocates testified strongly in support, and the bill was reported favorably. HB 1503 added technology-related competencies to education courses and directed the Department of Education to develop computer science certification coverage; it passed 19-0. HB 371 required public schools to display portraits of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington in common areas and passed 19-0 after testimony both for and against. HB 731 revised extracurricular eligibility rules and allowed local policies for compensating coaches and activity sponsors; an amendment broadened manual requirements and clarified fee actions, and the bill passed 18-0. The committee also took up HB 173, a parental rights bill that drew the most extensive debate and public testimony. The bill would require parental consent for many medical decisions for minors, give parents access to medical records, and expand parental review/opt-in rights for certain school surveys and biofeedback devices. Supporters argued it restores parental authority, improves safety, and prevents children from being cut out of important medical decisions; opponents warned it would remove confidential access to STI treatment, crisis mental health care, and other services for minors in unsafe or abusive homes. Members raised questions about abuse exceptions, emergency care, and how the bill would affect routine treatment and time-sensitive care. The bill was not voted on in the portion provided, and debate continued through multiple rounds of sponsor responses and member comments.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just to add on, I will be the one that will offer, once we exec out that amendment with the language,
• I couldn't open without an occupancy permit.
• Can't get an occupancy permit if I'm not ADA compliant with everything in there, yet I'm able to open
• I couldn't open without an occupancy permit.
• Can't get an occupancy permit if I'm not ADA compliant with everything in there, yet I'm able to open

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All registration and permitting rules have been followed.
• There have been no permit violations, and TPWD must be 95% confident that CWD prevalence is below 5%.
• The permit-by-permit basis is simply inadequate to capture cumulative long-term impacts of seawater desalination
• area that does have adequate studies in which to adopt such standards, and perhaps for the floor amendment

Bills: HB4568, HB5458, HB4543, HB2703, HB3728, HCR113, HCR126

Keywords: film industry, incentives, grants, Texas, moving image, economic development, production companies, content standards, HB 5458, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, TPWD, chronic wasting disease, CWD, cervids, deer, elk, moose, wildlife management, game animals, disease management

Transcript Highlights:

• in San Diego, the city of San Diego right now, the city council has been going back and forth on permitting
• I would like to offer a friendly amendment to Assemblymember Patel's comments.
• I think in addition to the cost of permits and business licenses, et cetera, is the rather disconnected
• ... nature of those permits and those regulatory processes from the local city, the local county, various
• Streamlining, I think, is sometimes frowned upon, but coordination of some of those permits. looking

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we have two one-stop permitting and permit application systems.
• And we have two one-stop permitting and permit application systems that we're looking at COTS solutions
• And the issue for us is really that the information we need under amendment is housed by the county clerks

Summary: The subcommittee first heard a panel on state cloud modernization efforts after canceling an LBR on the Department of Corrections’ OBIS project because the presentation materials were not submitted on time. Florida Digital Service, the Northwest Regional Data Center, and several agencies described how the state is assessing and migrating applications to cloud environments under the cloud-first policy. Northwest explained its 2023 cloud readiness assessment of 890 applications from 24 agencies, the criteria used to rate readiness and risk, and its recommendation to tackle lower-risk applications first. Agency updates covered the Department of Corrections’ modernization of 98 legacy applications tied to OBIS and cloud-native infrastructure, the Department of Elder Affairs’ Microsoft Power Platform modernization, the Department of Health’s health management and child protection systems, and FDOT’s large cloud program for transportation systems. Members repeatedly asked about costs, data ownership, disaster recovery, single sign-on, security tools, and whether cloud migration actually saves money; presenters generally said the focus is more on modernization, resilience, and efficiency than immediate savings, and that cost analyses are often application-specific rather than enterprise-wide. The discussion also covered governance and architecture questions. Florida Digital Service said agencies remain responsible for their own databases and cloud tenants, while FLDS provides advice and an enterprise architecture framework; it does not have statutory oversight over most projects, except for OBIS project oversight due to its size. Northwest said it is acting as a cloud broker for some agencies and is consolidating Azure and AWS payer tenants to seek better pricing, but agencies still make system-by-system decisions based on business needs, risk, latency, and total cost of ownership. Members raised concerns about fragmented data structures, the lack of a complete statewide application inventory, and the need for better interoperability and enterprise standards. Several agencies said disaster recovery is built into their cloud plans, and FDOT and Corrections described ongoing efforts to keep systems current through core platforms, training, and ongoing support. In the second half of the meeting, the Department of State presented two new technology requests. Secretary Byrd described the SunBiz corporate registry system as a 34-year-old platform supporting more than 3.5 million business entities and generating over $575 million in annual general revenue. He said the department had already virtualized the legacy hardware after earlier modernization efforts failed and is now seeking $800,000 recurring for password protection and $5 million nonrecurring to continue procurement for a replacement system. The department also presented the Florida Voter Registration System modernization request, noting that the current system is outdated and requires manual workarounds for some statutory changes. The department requested $2.4948 million nonrecurring and $44,000 recurring to procure a modernized FVRS solution, and staff said the feasibility study recommended a hybrid approach. Members asked about the study’s findings and about creating a database for voter eligibility information for returning citizens; the department said that would require data sharing with all 67 clerks of court and other entities such as DOC.

Transcript Highlights:

• Apparently, there's an amendment or substitute coming.
• Chairman, I do have an amendment. It is 233895.1. And what the amendment does, Mr.
• Chairman, I do have an amendment. It is 233895.1. And what the amendment does, Mr.
• Kind of a motion on the amendment? Is there any objection to the amendment?
• I totally spaced on the second part of the amendment. Appreciate that.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate amendment to House amendment to Senate amendment.
• The Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment House amendment to the Senate amendment
• the Senate amendment House amendment to the Senate amendment to HR 6644.
• Senate amendment to House amendment to Senate amendment.
• The Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment is agreed to.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, there is an amendment I can explain.
• Madam Vice Chair, please move the DS amendment. Mr.
• Chairman, I move that the DS amendment dated February 13th, 2026 at 11:09 a.m. be adopted.
• Please move the bill as amended. Mr.
• Chairman, I move that House Bill 2292 as amended be returned with a due pass recommendation.

Bills: HB2013, HB2292, HB2334, HB2349, HB2350, HB2845, HCM2011

Keywords: air pollution, wildfires, environmental standards, public health, Arizona Revised Statutes, wildfire, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, forest fire, brush removal, defensible space, community hardening, vegetation management, fire-resistant construction, wildland urban interface, WUI, insurance premium tax, property insurance, homeowners insurance, commercial property insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• hearing notice, copies of the bills, and testimony can be found on the legislature's website if time permits
• of not incorporating page two, number two, of the suggested amendments.
• We're going to accept the Havi Insurance Council's proposed amendments in their testimony.
• Technical amendments, and then we are also going to change the effective date to July 1, 2077.
• So with that, any further discussion on the proposed amendments?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Labor and Technology met on March 14, 2025, to consider House Bill 1064, House Draft 2, relating to fire protection. The bill was described as implementing recommendations from the Phase 3 report by the Fire Safety Research Institute on the August 2023 Maui wildfires, clarifying the role of the State Fire Marshal, and appropriating funds. Members also discussed structural changes to the State Fire Marshal’s office and whether the office should remain under the Department of Defense rather than the Governor’s office. The committee heard from a senior adviser from the Governor’s office, who said the administration would support creating a State Fire Marshal selection commission and did not object to Senate advice-and-consent involvement for some commission members. He also agreed that placing the office under the Department of Defense made sense. In its decision-making, the chair recommended passing the bill with amendments, including accepting proposed amendments from the Attorney General and the Hawaii Insurance Council, with one exception to the Attorney General’s proposal. The adopted amendments would establish a seven-member State Fire Marshal selection commission beginning January 1, 2026, with authority to appoint and remove the State Fire Marshal, receive complaints, and conduct annual performance reviews. The commission would be attached to the Department of Defense for administrative purposes, be subject to the Sunshine Law, and include both voting and non-voting members, with some appointments made by the governor, House speaker, and Senate president. The committee also made technical changes, deleted several pages and lines, and changed the effective date to July 1, 2077. The chair’s recommendation was adopted by both committees, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is the lead film permitting person for the film office.
• film permitting person for the the lead film permitting person for the film<00:40:13.040> office<
• He was talking about permitting, how you going to permit anybody if we do not have any industries thinking
• about permitting how you going<00:54:05.920> to<00:54:06.040> permit<00:54:06.400>
• We're not asking to amend Act 153.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• would like to move the A1 amendment. would like to move the A1 amendment.
• amendment? amendment?
• amendment? amendment? Hearing<00:09:41.560> none.
• amendment say I. I. amendment say I. I.
• in the A1 amendment.

Bills: HF4491, HF4338, HF4288, HF4566

Keywords: Medical Assistance, Medicaid, prepayment review, claims review, fee-for-service, provider integrity, high-risk provider, high-risk service, fraud prevention, program integrity, Department of Human Services, CMS, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, health care billing, medical claims, provider enrollment, Indian Health Service, Minnesota Statutes chapter 256B, human services, medical assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• THERE IS ONE AMENDMENT.
• SEEING NONE ARE THEIR APPEARANCE FORMS FOR THE AMENDMENT? ANY DEBATE ON THE AMENDMENT?
• THE AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED, BACK ON THE BILL AS AMENDED, ANY QUESTIONS ON THE BILL AS AMENDED?
• THERE IS ONE AMENDMENT. TAKE UP AMENDMENT BARCODE 856534 BY THERE IS ONE AMENDMENT.
• . >> Chair Grall: QUESTIONS ON THE AMENDMENT, APPEARANCE FORMS ON THE AMENDMENT?

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They are AB 598, AB 629, AB 629, AB 642 with amendments, AB 927 with amendments, AB 927 with amendments
• You're accepting all of the committee amendments?
• So I appreciate the amendments that the committee took to be able to try to So I appreciate the amendments
• Right, I would work with amendments if that was needed.
• Right, I would work with amendments if that was, I would work with the committee on any additional amendments

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard several education bills, with AB 887 by Assemblymember Berman proposing that every school district and charter school adopt a plan so all high schools offer at least one computer science course by 2029-30. Supporters, including a teacher and student, argued California is falling behind other states and that computer science is essential for student opportunity and workforce readiness. ACSA opposed the bill, citing the shortage of qualified computer science teachers and administrative burden. The bill passed the committee on a 6-0 vote and was sent to Appropriations. The committee also heard AB 1390 by Assemblymember Solache, which would allow local and county school boards to raise trustee compensation above long-standing statutory minimums that have not changed in decades. Supporters said the current stipends are too low to make board service accessible to working families and younger community members. There was no opposition testimony, and the bill passed with five votes, with the roll left open for additional members. AB 865 by Assemblymember Gonzalez would create a $5 million, three-year grant program for dual-language immersion instructional materials, split between high-demand languages and other languages. Supporters said districts often lack standards-aligned materials in languages beyond Spanish, forcing teachers to create their own. The bill passed 7-0 to Appropriations. AB 857 by Assemblymember Gibson, requiring annual cultural competency training for K-12 staff, also passed 5-1 after supporters linked it to the state reparations task force report and argued it would improve trust and student outcomes. The committee additionally approved AB 677 by Assemblymember Bryan, which would make it easier for unhoused students to access school-based vision and dental screenings by allowing directory information to be used for that purpose with an opt-out process; it passed 8-0. AB 903 by Assemblymember Avila Farias, directing the Department of Education to develop best practices on education technology and digital equity, passed after amendments and with some opponents indicating they would remove opposition once the amendments were in print. Finally, AB 917 by Assemblymember Avila Farias, extending permanent-status protections to certain educators in small districts and county programs, drew significant opposition from small districts and regional occupational programs over flexibility and funding concerns; the bill still passed 5-2 with the roll held open for additional votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, I would move Amendment 040-003 for House Bill 1540.
• The amendment has passed. Yes, two nays, zero not voting. The amendment has passed.
• So we have the amended bill, 1540, before us. Mr.
• Chairman, I make a motion for a due pass for 1540 as amended.
• So now we have the amended version before us. Mr.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with a quorum and first took up House Bill 1540, an education savings account bill. Senator Wobbema presented Amendment 040-003, describing mostly clarifying and reorganizing changes, including eligibility language, administrator duties, school participation standards, assessment provisions, and a correction removing a requirement that the department pay for state assessment materials if a parent selected that option. The committee adopted the amendment 4-2, then advanced HB 1540 as amended on a 4-2 vote and sent it to Appropriations, with Senator Wobbema designated as carrier. One senator opposed the bill, arguing it would divert resources from public schools and conflict with the state’s obligation to provide a free appropriate education while districts still face funding needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Relating to crime, amending the sections of the Controlled Substances Act, providing a penalty for when
• House Bill 124, introduced by Representative Ferrary, an act relating to protected persons, amending
• An act relating to the structure of the Public Bank of New Mexico, providing duties, permitting certain
• House Bill 134, an act relating to delinquency, amending the Delinquency Act, expanding the definitions
• It also repeals section 32A-2-32.1 NMSA 1975, making conforming amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• our job as legislators is to legislate for the masses, and then we can come back and we can do amendments
• I think those are things that we need to look at in terms of amendments, but that's not what this bill
• /c><00:21:29.880> in<00:21:29.960> terms<00:21:30.240> of<00:21:30.440> amendments
• <00:21:31.440> but look at in terms of amendments but look at in terms of amendments but that's
• providers to deny even basic permitting providers to deny even basic information<00:30:08.120> and

Keywords: Discussion on SB 132 - 00:06 Vote on SB 132 - 04:41 Discussion on HB 219 - 43:49 Vote on HB 219 – 49:00 Discussion on HCR 20 – 50:08 Vote on HCR 20 – 51:28, 958, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 132, which would create conscience protections for health care professionals who object to participating in certain procedures or services on religious, moral, or ethical grounds. Senator Donald Douglas and several supporters argued the bill is a recruitment and retention tool for Kentucky’s health care workforce, emphasizing provider shortages, maldistribution, and the need to protect individual conscience rights. Supporters said the bill would not apply to emergency care, would not permit denial of care based on a patient’s identity, and would mainly protect professionals from being forced to perform procedures they believe are unethical. They also cited similar laws in six other states and said the bill would have a cause of action to give it enforcement teeth. Supportive testimony came from an emergency physician, a registered nurse, and others who described personal experiences or examples involving objections to abortion-related care, opioid prescribing, and pressure to participate in procedures that conflicted with conscience. They said conscience protections would help attract providers, preserve ethical integrity, and allow clinicians to make professional judgments without corporate or institutional coercion. In questioning, senators asked about practical examples, the scope of the bill, whether it would cover hypothetical cases involving patients of particular religions or identities, and which states have similar laws. The sponsor and supporters repeatedly said the bill is about procedures, not patients, and that it should not be read to allow discrimination against individuals. Opponents, including pediatricians and a registered nurse/minister, warned that the bill is overly broad and could allow refusals of care by not only physicians but also pharmacists, clerks, and ambulance drivers. They argued it could delay treatment, increase discrimination, and worsen access problems in rural areas, especially for contraception, Plan B, blood transfusions, and other services. Critics said existing professional ethics already require patient care and that the bill could undermine evidence-based medicine and worsen Kentucky’s provider shortage. The committee took testimony and questions; no final vote or disposition was announced in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• is not something you can just permitting is not something you can just cut<00:35:23.680> out<
• Okay, then those amounts, we would say, with those House Bill 2 amendments, doing this would help the
• So the sale of fish food repeal—do you want that part of this amendment? Okay.
• okay okay the part of this amendment okay okay the Raffles<01:24:12.280> and<01:24:12.440>
• You don't have to have an amendment ready, but what you'd like to do with the 911 thing.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division II work session focused on Fish and Game’s budget-revenue proposals and several statutory changes the department said it needs to support its operations. The department recommended raising the fisheries habitat fee and wildlife habitat fee to $5 each, estimating additional annual revenue of about $640,000 and $144,000 respectively. Members clarified that these are habitat fees added on top of licenses, not reduced by senior or youth license categories, and discussed the need for RSA changes to allow the revenue to be transferred into the Fish and Game Fund. The department also said it would work internally on any broader license fee increases through the commission process. The committee then reviewed proposals to cap several dedicated accounts and transfer excess balances to the unrestricted Fish and Game Fund. Those accounts included the fisheries and wildlife habitat funds and the game management account, with the department proposing a $750,000 cap on each and transfer of amounts above that threshold. The department said the cap was based on several years of expenditures and the fact that dedicated funds are often used as match for federal funds. Members asked for reports on fund activity and questioned whether the cap and mandatory transfer language should be “shall” or “may,” with the department indicating it would prefer “may” for flexibility. The committee also discussed a Pheasant Management Program account, where the department said current law limits use of the money to buying and propagating pheasants and it wants authority to use it for broader program management. A substantial portion of the meeting addressed Fish and Game’s environmental review unit and the transfer of ARPA-funded positions to DEES under the governor’s initiative. The department said four positions are currently ARPA-funded, that DEES supports keeping them in place through the end of the year, and that the transition will require time because environmental review work is intertwined across the agency. The department explained that before the ARPA positions, biologists handled the work and that current staffing has helped eliminate a backlog and meet deadlines. Members also discussed a proposal to expand environmental review fees beyond private developers to state, federal, municipal, and local governments, with the department saying it would need rulemaking and stakeholder input. Additional requests included authority to conduct raffles to raise funds, creation of a revolving account for donations and raffle proceeds, and repeal of the obsolete fish food sales statute because the vending machines are no longer functional and the account generates no revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• . amended. amended.
• amendment or two. amendment or two.
• amended by the Senate floor amendment amended by the Senate floor amendment one. one. one.
• . amended. amended.
• title amendment. title amendment.

Bills: HB567, HB776, HB2, HB568, HB619

Keywords: open records, public access, transparency, government accountability, public agency, dental practice, licensing, administrative regulations, dental assistants, supervision, Medicaid, community engagement, healthcare, managed care, eligibility, public assistance, insurance, public adjuster, claim process, contract requirements