Transcript Highlights:

• We've heard often the idea of restored people restoring communities.
• We've heard often the idea of restored people restoring communities.
• <00:13:33.279> are come out better our communities are come out better our communities are
• successful transitions to the community successful transitions to the community for<00:19:54.760
• This is what medicine looks like in our mental health communities.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the March 22, 2024 minutes and then took up House File 3761, the Safety Through Support Act, with a motion to lay the bill over. Representative Lee Finke said the bill is intended to improve re-entry outcomes and public safety by expanding prison visitation, including mentoring and access for mental health and medical professionals, and by creating a task force to support rehabilitation and re-entry. Testifiers in support included Holly Bot, who described how family visits helped her through incarceration and later into successful re-entry and business ownership, and Zeke Caliguri, who argued that consistent visitation and community connection are essential to humanity, rehabilitation, and reducing recidivism. Elliot Bhai of NAMI Minnesota also supported the bill, framing visitation as a form of needed mental health support in prisons. Members raised several concerns and suggestions. Representative Hudson questioned the bill’s strip-search limitation language, asking what would count as a credible, documented security concern, and also worried the task force could create discriminatory access or favor certain viewpoints. Representative Finke said she did not view a conviction as making someone permanently a security risk and said the task force was meant to ensure meaningful visitation for everyone, not to enable discrimination. Representative Hollins and Representative N. supported the bill’s overall goals while suggesting language could be tightened and noting that maintaining outside ties helps people return as productive members of society. Representative Witte asked about the Department of Corrections commissioner’s presence, and the chair said questions for him could wait for a later bill. Representative Mu asked about the fiscal note and the research behind the bill. Staff said a fiscal note had been requested but not yet signed off by the LBO, which was one reason the bill was being laid over. Finke said she could share the visitation study and noted that the bill responds to research linking visitation to lower recidivism; she also said remote visitation data shows value but can be costly. After closing remarks emphasizing that visitation is “medicine” and that most incarcerated people will return to the community, the chair renewed the motion and laid over House File 3761. The committee then moved on to House File 4959, with a motion to re-refer it to the Committee on State and Local Government Finance and Policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• Instead of communicating his offer to help the homeschooling community, they hid it from the community
• Instead of communicating his offer to help the homeschooling community, they hid it from the community
• <01:18:43.360> The purpose for our community. The purpose for our community.
• Who's going to be working with the community and doing the community outlook?
• the community and doing the community<04:19:10.479> outlook?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for communicating with me prior to today. Thank you, Mr.
• Thank you for communicating with me prior to today.
• Thank you for communicating with me prior to today.
• We have the right to know in here to be informed when communicating with AI versus humans.
• Of course, we have informed when communicating with AI versus humans.

Summary: The Committee on Commerce and Tourism considered a series of bills affecting tax policy, workforce development, business regulation, consumer protection, rural development, and artificial intelligence. SB 1076 would raise Florida’s research and development tax credit cap from $9 million to $50 million beginning with the 2027 allocation, and it was reported favorably. CS/SB 1266 would create a cybersecurity experiential internship and clearance-readiness program with the Department of Commerce and Cyber Florida; an amendment removed an appropriation from the bill, and the committee reported it favorably. SB 554, a broad update to Florida’s not-for-profit corporation law, was also reported favorably after supportive testimony from Florida Bar representatives. SB 1004, aimed at protecting buyers of dogs and cats from deceptive sales and predatory financing practices, received strong support from animal welfare advocates and was reported favorably. SB 1074, which provides rounding rules for cash transactions if pennies are unavailable, was likewise reported favorably. SB 214, expanding the rural community definition to include special districts in rural counties for economic development purposes, was reported favorably. SPB 7030, a public records exemption tied to Department of Legal Affairs investigations, was adopted as a committee bill and favorably reported. The committee also heard extensive discussion on SB 998, the Department of Commerce package. The bill would modernize the Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant program, clarify rural community eligibility for certain unincorporated areas, exempt military entities from a reverter clause on land conveyances, and revise E-Verify enforcement procedures. Members questioned the E-Verify provisions, including penalties, protections for workers incorrectly flagged, and the treatment of gig workers. Senator Smith opposed the bill, arguing it creates unequal treatment between employers and immigrant workers, while Senator Wright supported the military-related provisions. Despite the debate, SB 998 was reported favorably, with Senators Bracy Davis, Smith, and Errington voting no. The committee also took up SB 482, an “Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights” that would create consumer protections for companion chatbots, require parental consent and access for minors, mandate periodic disclosures that users are interacting with AI, restrict certain uses of personal data and likenesses, and give the Attorney General enforcement authority. The bill drew both support and criticism: supporters emphasized child safety, transparency, and consumer protection, while opponents raised concerns about privacy, broad definitions, lack of audit mechanisms, and the absence of a private right of action for adults. Senators Smith and Davis urged clearer definitions and stronger accountability, but both said the bill was a starting point. The committee reported SB 482 favorably. The meeting ended with recorded affirmative votes requested by Senators Yarbrough, Wright, and Davis on selected tabs, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Out to counties for community wildfire protection plans.
• That's a really important one in New Mexico that goes out to our community members.
• These communities would have essentially been ghost towns without this funding.
• We're a veteran-friendly state in every community. We love our veterans.
• It's critical because that's what gets them back into the community and engaged.

Transcript Highlights:

• working with the communities working with the communities experiencing<00:10:45.200> the<
• After that, I'm unable to provide maternal and primary health care for my community.
• After that, I'm unable to provide maternal and primary health care for my community.
• After that, I'm unable to provide maternal and primary health care for my community.
• <00:14:22.120> especially investment in our communities especially investment in our communities

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They represent their communities, who are all along the Blue Line Corridor.
• They represent their communities, who are all along the Blue Line Corridor.
• ...that have served our communities for decades, despite all of the disinvestment and all of the
• negative media that has been portrayed on our community.
• director of Jordan Area Community director of Jordan Area Community Council<00:13:01.399> which

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We have, in our community, an entity called Project Lift that does amazing training for at-risk kids,
• This is a direct response from the community.
• We had to tailor them specifically for the opportunities that our rural community already had.
• That has truly been a game changer for our community.
• And to expand our reach into those rural communities, we did something different.

Summary: The Education Postsecondary Committee met to hear an overview of Florida career and technical education (CTE) from Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell and presentations from Big Bend Technical College and Santa Fe College. O’Farrell described Florida’s CTE structure, including career clusters, postsecondary program types, enrollment and completion growth, apprenticeship expansion, and the state’s credentials review process. He said postsecondary CTE enrollment is near 480,000 students and completions reached a record 76,806, with strong growth in nursing, law enforcement, EMT, and other public-safety credentials. He also discussed the CTE audit, which uses retention/success, employment or continued education, and labor-market demand metrics; programs not meeting thresholds would eventually require phase-out plans beginning in 2026. He highlighted the workforce development capitalization grant as a major driver of program expansion and facility renovation, and answered questions about business outreach, construction trades, apprenticeships, and space-industry training. Shelby McCall of Big Bend Technical College described how the college responded to hurricanes, mill closures, and regional economic disruption by expanding rural workforce training. She highlighted aluminum welding, millwright, welding technology, health sciences, and a new advanced manufacturing facility funded by state grants and local partnerships, along with a new LPN-to-RN bridge program. She said the college has strong placement and certification results and is working with employers such as Lippert, NAMO, and others to align training with local demand. Senator Simon praised the college’s role in Taylor County’s recovery and workforce development. Dr. Paul Brody of Santa Fe College said state workforce grants have helped the college expand nursing, skilled trades, apprenticeship, automotive, diesel, and manufacturing programs, including partnerships with Bradford County Technical College, UF Health, Habitat for Humanity, and local employers. He reported growth in CTE enrollment, nursing credentials, apprenticeship enrollment, and job placement rates, and described new efforts in semiconductor training, CDL training, and a charter school model that combines high school, an AS degree, and industry credentials. The committee took no formal action beyond hearing the presentations and adjourned after Senator Berman moved to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• together<01:10:45.040> and sports bring communities together and sports bring communities
• <01:21:17.280> hats all of them wear multiple community hats all of them wear multiple community
• <01:21:56.000> as earned the trust of the community as earned the trust of the community as
• :32.159> the<01:26:32.400> option simply gives communities the option simply gives communities
• amongst communities and in districts. amongst communities and in districts.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:53:43.440> that law enforcement and the communities that law enforcement and the communities
• passed the bipartisan safer communities passed the bipartisan safer communities act,<01:18:42.000
• They helped people in the community.
• community and thereby made history. community and thereby made history.
• They've killed two communities.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, February 12, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• sense of community. sense of community.
• have our community action programs. have our community action programs.
• communities? communities?
• vacancy rate in my community? vacancy rate in my community?
• <02:51:37.880> Because, in our communities. Because, in our communities.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• young professionals who are currently priced out of the communities that they serve.
• They want to push infill, and they want to basically gentrify our communities.
• They want to push infill, and they want to basically gentrify our communities.
• It really puts the power in the hands of each community around the state.
• We're heavily invested in seeing them do renovations and rehabs in that community.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:53.680> I'll members in our community be harmed.
• I'll members in our community be harmed.
• It costs hospitals more community.
• We help earlier that community.
• Uh but overall community networks.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• However, these large developments do significantly impact our communities.
• And so, ...do significantly impact our communities.
• Is that a health and safety issue to the community having it there?
• You know, and they need it for their community, they can.
• But it really is more of a community issue, right? I mean, it's regional in making sure that.

Bills: HB447, HB897, HB993, HB2673, HB3671, HB3680, HB3897, HB4506, HB4753, HB4812, HB4894, HB5148, HB5437, HB5650, HB5652, HB5654, HB5656, HB5661, HB5665

Keywords: traffic impact studies, municipal utility district, bonds, road projects, eminent domain, HB 897, Texas land sale, state property, Austin real estate, Travis County, General Land Office, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission, state records facility, archives building, library funding, capital improvements, lease of state land, public land disposition

Summary: The committee heard testimony and took action on several land use, housing, municipal utility district, and cemetery-related bills. House Bill 447, dealing with transportation impact analysis requirements tied to MUD bond issuance, drew opposition from a witness who argued it would duplicate work, strain agency resources, and delay development; after the sponsor’s closing remarks, the committee substitute was withdrawn and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 1202, on third-party review of home backup power installations, was substituted and reported favorably to the full House by a unanimous roll call. House Bill 2494, on disannexation for failure to provide municipal services, and House Bill 1835, removing barriers to HUD-code manufactured homes, were also substituted and reported favorably; HB 1835 passed on a 5-1 vote. Senate Bill 15, limiting lot size and density requirements in certain large municipalities, was substituted and reported favorably unanimously. The committee also heard House Bill 897, which would authorize the sale or long-term lease of two state-owned Austin properties used by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and HHSC. The sponsor said the properties are in poor condition and that proceeds would benefit the state; after questions, the committee substitute was withdrawn and the bill was left pending. Several template MUD bills were then laid out, including HB 5652, HB 5654, HB 5661, and HB 5656, each creating or authorizing municipal utility districts in Montgomery or Fort Bend counties for water, wastewater, drainage, road, and recreational improvements. These bills drew limited testimony in support and were left pending without objection. A major portion of the meeting focused on House Bill 2673, which would repeal last session’s change allowing new cemeteries within certain distances of municipalities and restore the prior rule limiting cemetery placement near growing urban areas. The sponsor and supporters argued the 2023 change created unintended consequences, removed valuable taxable land from future use, and complicated city planning; opponents, including a funeral service industry representative, argued the current law gives communities local control and helps address cemetery land shortages. After extensive testimony, the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4753, a bill allowing a property owner to use a municipal record showing a certificate of occupancy was issued when the original document is lost; it was left pending. Finally, HB 3680, a Cameron County-specific bill modifying subdivision/model rule procedures to reduce replatting burdens while preserving colonia protections, and HB 4812, clarifying that condominiums follow Chapter 82 of the Property Code rather than full subdivision platting, both received supportive testimony and were left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• Item number four, Senate communications. Mr. Clerk, are there any Senate communications?
• She's the communications director.
• <00:22:18.880> And government, community relations. And government, community relations.
• As She's the communications director.
• <00:31:21.279> to are such um heroes in our community to are such um heroes in our community

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• not just for that individual to recover, but your entire community to recover.
• personal responsibility of landowners and communities to address the needs of their community when it
• The sooner they know, the faster the community as a whole recovers.
• And that's something that's very difficult for a community to move forward from.
• They destroyed our community and nearly everything we possessed.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on the California Earthquake Authority’s SB 254 report and broader options for reforming California’s utility wildfire recovery system. The chair framed the discussion around the Palisades and Eaton fires, the scale of wildfire-related costs on utility bills, and the need to weigh trade-offs among survivors, ratepayers, utilities, insurers, and taxpayers. The first panel featured wildfire survivors William Abrams and Joy Chen, who described long delays in compensation, housing insecurity, and what they viewed as a system that protects utility shareholders more than victims. They urged greater transparency, clearer accountability for utility spending and safety performance, faster and fuller compensation for survivors, and reforms such as independent audits and better alignment of utility incentives with wildfire prevention and restitution. The second panel began with Tom Welsh of the California Earthquake Authority, who explained that the SB 254 report was intended as a broad inventory of policy pathways rather than recommendations. He described the report’s process, including stakeholder submissions, workstreams, and a convergence process, and outlined the current wildfire fund structure: utilities remain liable, the fund reimburses eligible claims after a covered wildfire, and the CPUC later determines prudency and possible reimbursement back to the fund. RAND’s Lloyd Dixon summarized compensation data, saying utilities paid about $38 billion between 2017 and 2024, with major shares going to injured parties, insurers, and public entities, while litigation costs and survivors’ own losses remain substantial. He noted that legal fees and delays reduce the amount survivors ultimately receive. Utility and public-interest witnesses offered differing views on the report’s pathways. PG&E’s Tyson Smith said the report shows inaction is the worst outcome and argued for community wildfire risk reduction, equitable allocation of catastrophe costs, and state-led resilience tools. LADWP’s Fernando Valero emphasized the vulnerability of municipal utilities and cities, and supported inverse condemnation reform, a state-sponsored liability insurance framework, damages and subrogation limits, and stronger insurance access. Consumer Attorneys of California’s John Fisk argued that IOU-caused fires are not natural disasters but the result of negligence and sometimes criminal conduct, and opposed reducing utility liability while supporting stronger oversight and audits. The Public Advocates Office’s Nathaniel Skinner focused on affordability, saying ratepayers already bear large and growing wildfire costs and warning against shifting more costs onto bills without measurable risk reduction and tighter accountability. Committee members then began questioning witnesses about what counts as measurable mitigation, how to define full and fair compensation, and how any fast-pay process should work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 25 amends the definition of electioneering communication.
• advocacy to include paid communications advocacy to include paid communications that<00:46:44.400
• Some major spenders communications.
• <00:47:01.520> as ads by including Paso Communications as ads by including Paso Communications
• These changes will help communications.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If accommodations are needed for today's hearing or any hearing in the future, please communicate that
• , putting our women—mostly communities putting our women.
• <00:44:02.760> uh members people in our communities uh members people in our communities uh
• <00:47:29.359> Support to healthcare and Community Support to healthcare and Community Support
• reimburse independent and Community reimburse independent and Community pharmacists<00:48:45.839

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House Committee on Human Services Finance and Policy met to approve prior minutes and then take public testimony on the governor’s budget recommendations for human services. The chair explained the hearing format and noted that DHS declined to testify. Much of the testimony focused on proposed reductions or caps affecting disability waiver services, nursing homes, and elderly waiver programs, as well as related fee and tax changes in the budget. Representatives of ARM argued that the governor’s proposal would cap inflationary adjustments at 2%, limit rate exceptions, cap billable days, and restrict individualized home supports, which they said would worsen workforce shortages, reduce wages for direct support professionals, and destabilize disability services. They said the package would cut about $600 million over four years and could lead to group home closures, higher turnover, and families losing access to local homes and services. Committee members asked about real-world impacts and future rate adjustments, and ARM responded that providers have already planned around expected 2026 rates, so a cap would create immediate budget and staffing problems. Long-Term Care Imperative testified against nursing home-related cuts, saying the budget would cap future rate increases, limit health insurance costs in rate setting, phase out closure-related agreements and incentives, and fail to fully fund the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board. They estimated the nursing home provisions could amount to a $218 million cut over four years, or roughly $350 million when combined with other underfunding, and said every nursing home and bed in Minnesota would be affected. They also criticized the lack of an inflation factor in Elderly Waiver, a proposed 54% increase in assisted living fees, and possible changes to provider-assessed fine and penalty funds. Members asked about staffing and bed availability, and the testifiers said reduced funding would likely force more beds out of service. A later testifier, Dan Andre of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, raised concerns about the DHS budget’s proposed increase in the HMO surcharge and about carving pharmacy and non-emergency medical transportation benefits out of managed care. He argued the tax increase would raise premiums for fully insured and Medicare supplement enrollees and that managed care coordination helps members access care and medications. The hearing also included one unrelated, disruptive testimony about the Minnesota Sex Offender Program and other agencies, which the chair redirected back to the human services budget. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly Bill 2417 by Assembly Member Zbur and others, relating to community colleges.
• and staff by... ...helps close a vital gap for our California Community College professors and staff
• The community college system has become a critical pathway allowing Californians from all backgrounds
• Part-time community college faculty are often individuals... ...our communities.
• Part-time community college faculty are often individuals who have chosen to give back to their communities

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Communications and Reports from State Officers. Motions and Resolutions.
• COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS FROM STATE OFFICERS.
• It is a free school supply shop stocked by community donations.
• Thanks for your leadership in our community.
• , particularly in Black, Latino, Asian communities, for most women.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, approved the journal, and welcomed several guest groups, including Saugerties student government officers, the Marlboro High School boys bowling state champions, a civics group, a National Guard/9-11 responder advocate, family members honoring Salvador Vizcarrondo Jr., architecture professionals, correctional officers and employees, and small business representatives. Members also offered resolutions recognizing Architecture Week, Correctional Officers and Employees Week, and Small Business Week, along with tributes to community leaders and student achievements. The chamber then took up a series of bills on the non-controversial calendar, passing measures on education leave for incarcerated people, utility interconnection study, property tax exemption, alcohol regulation, executive law, school drill requirements, victim sentencing rights, public health, public officers, public authorities, election law, environmental conservation, veterans/homeland security, labor, and other topics. Several bills were laid aside. Some measures drew brief explanations of vote, including concerns about school safety drills, correctional staffing and safety, and a victims’ rights bill that one senator said mirrored an earlier version he had carried. The most extended debate centered on the 21st Century Antitrust Act (Calendar 879), with supporters arguing it would modernize antitrust enforcement against dominant firms, especially big tech, and opponents warning it would create vague standards, invite private lawsuits, and harm small and rural businesses. Another debated bill (Calendar 818) would restrict sharing of utility consumption data with police; supporters framed it as a privacy measure requiring normal legal process, while opponents said it would hinder law enforcement while still allowing state regulators access. Both bills were ultimately restored to the non-controversial calendar and passed, and the Senate adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Third, we are focused on— we have $47 million in year one for enabling community-designed, community-led
• So we'll be launching a competitive grant program that empowers rural, frontier, and tribal communities
• How can we get people to their home communities faster, for example?
• Can we get you home to your community faster by implementing some tech innovation that gets you back
• Also at MNERD on page 11, $25 million for the community energy project completion.

Bills: SB193, SB132, SB35, SB145

Keywords: SB193, acequia, community ditch, irrigation works construction fund, water infrastructure, ditch infrastructure, irrigation, New Mexico water law, agricultural water, farmers, Rio Grande, acequia association, forest land protection revolving fund, state fund transfer, irrigation projects, SB132, DOIT, Department of Information Technology, software replacement, equipment replacement