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• We passed probably more Senate priority bills than we've ever passed.

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• It was one of my priorities when I came down here to advocate.

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• I testified earlier in the session about adoption, and again, I thank you for making adoption a priority

Bills: SB500, SB1522, SB1137, SB1266

Keywords: SB 500, Texas adoption law, Family Code, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child-placing agency, prospective adoptive parents, adoption records, confidential information, nondisclosure agreement, child history report, health history, social history, educational history, genetic history, termination of parental rights, permanency plan, single source continuum contractor, privacy, redaction

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• I am here today to present Assembly Bill 766, which is a Black Caucus priority bill.

Summary: The Governmental Organization Committee met as a subcommittee because it initially lacked a quorum, then later established quorum and heard several bills. AB 445 by Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry would grant Colusa County 10 on-sale liquor licenses to address a long-standing shortage and support local economic development; the author said she would accept committee amendments. The bill was later approved on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations, with the roll held open for absent members before additional aye votes were added. AB 766 by Assemblymember Sharp-Collins would require state agencies and departments to conduct an equity analysis before implementing budgets or regulations, with the review performed by a DEIA coordinator or qualified equivalent. Supporters, including a college administrator and a nursing instructor, argued the bill would protect diversity, equity, inclusion, and access efforts and help address systemic barriers in education and health care. The committee voted 13-? on the measure after a due-pass motion to Appropriations, with the roll held open and later additional aye votes recorded. AB 971 by Assemblymember Alvarez would facilitate transfer of about 3.83 acres of city-owned land in San Diego to the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, contingent on affirmative action by the City of San Diego. The author and tribal witnesses described the bill as a step toward correcting historical injustices and reopening a currently closed park as a tribal-operated historical park and museum. The measure passed on a due-pass motion to Appropriations, again with the roll held open for absent members before additional votes were added.

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• Our party's legislative priorities to remove these affirmative defenses, and uh I hope you would consider

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• But I appreciate the work that you both have done for this committee to try to get as many priorities

Bills: HF2300

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• This bill reflects one of the number one legislative priorities of the young people we work with across

Bills: HF1306

Keywords: education, school policy, teacher training, student health, emergency response

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• offense or for the subcommittee on County Regional Government, HB 3311 by Swanson relating to the priority

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• LEGISLATION HAVE A RESOLVE AND THAT RESOLVED IS THAT THE GOOD OF OVER 23 MILLION FLORIDIANS IS OUR PRIORITY

Keywords: 999, senate, all

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• legislature have a resolve, and that resolve is that the good of over 23 million Floridians is our priority

Keywords: 998, house, all

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• It's all about what Florida needs and what our community needs are as a priority.

Summary: The Committee on Commerce and Tourism met briefly and first announced that Senate Bill 232 by Senator Rodriguez was temporarily postponed at the sponsor’s request. The main item was a presentation from Leo Garcia of the Office of Broadband on Florida’s broadband programs, current deployment progress, and upcoming funding opportunities. Garcia said the office is administering multiple grant programs that have awarded hundreds of millions of dollars for broadband infrastructure, community facilities, and digital device access, with a focus on rural areas, workforce development, and digital literacy. He also described the state’s strategic plan and partnerships with local governments, ISPs, workforce boards, community colleges, and community action agencies. Garcia explained that Florida has already deployed over 1,100 miles of fiber and enabled about 4,300 connections, and said the remaining unserved and underserved locations should drop significantly by the end of 2026 before the BEAD program addresses the rest. He said BEAD is a fully federal program for Florida, providing $1.16 billion from NTIA, with most of it reserved for infrastructure and additional amounts for workforce training and cybersecurity/digital literacy. He noted that Florida is prioritizing fiber but will also use fixed wireless or satellite where fiber is not cost-effective or feasible. He also said the office is seeking additional spending authority for the Digital Capacity Grant Program. Members asked about county coverage, especially Duval County, and Garcia said Duval and Monroe had not yet received funds because they currently have limited unserved or underserved areas, but they are expected to be addressed through BEAD and related workforce and literacy efforts. Senator Davis raised permitting delays as a major challenge, and Garcia said the office is exploring ways to help local communities process permits more quickly. Senator Wright asked about competition with satellite-based broadband providers, and Garcia said the state is technology-agnostic but prioritizes fiber for reliability. There were no public comments, no votes or formal actions taken, and the meeting adjourned.

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• from Captain Burns, but existing law enforcement agencies have limited resources and competing priorities

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• Yes, that would be a priority to look at those and spot check.
• Yes, that would be a priority to look at those and spot check.
• It's been a high priority for SIA for several years, and cybersecurity risks can be effectively mitigated
• It's been a high priority for Sia for 3773 several years, and that cybersecurity risks can be effectively
• would want to know that these increasingly essential technologies are secure, and we share that priority

Summary: The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce held its first interim hearing on securing critical infrastructure and supply chain integrity, with a focus on Texas’s electric grid and the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act. The chair also highlighted Texas’s relatively low electricity prices and welcomed new committee members. ERCOT, the Public Utility Commission (PUC), and the Attorney General’s office were invited to explain how the state screens market participants and grid equipment for ties to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, and how the agencies respond to noncompliance. ERCOT testified that it has implemented the requirements of three related Senate bills by requiring attestations on corporate affiliations and on critical grid equipment and services. ERCOT said it has processed thousands of attestations, used additional requests for information and third-party verification tools such as Dun & Bradstreet, and terminated nonresponsive market participants. ERCOT also said it has not seen a case requiring direct Attorney General involvement, but it does refer matters to the PUC when needed. The PUC said it can investigate suspected violations and impose penalties of up to $1 million per violation per day, and that most investigations into late or missing attestations have been resolved through compliance, market exit, or removal by ERCOT. The Attorney General’s office said its role is currently limited to audits and court involvement, and that it lacks broad independent investigatory authority under the act. Members pressed the panel on whether the current system is too reliant on self-reporting and whether it adequately addresses indirect foreign influence, especially through supply chains for batteries, inverters, transformers, and other equipment with routable connectivity. ERCOT acknowledged that the current attestation process has gaps and said it plans to refine definitions of critical grid equipment and grid services, improve information requests, and continue stakeholder rulemaking. The panel also discussed possible legislative changes, including tying prohibitions to the Department of Defense Section 1260H list and the Texas Prohibited Technologies list, clarifying warranty and service access, and expanding the statute to cover grid services more directly. Several senators raised concerns about cost, reliability, and the extent to which foreign-sourced components remain embedded in Texas infrastructure, while others suggested incentives for domestic manufacturing and stronger verification tools, including possible work with national labs such as Sandia.

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• happens to be in Hennepin County with the hospital that's in deficit and so we have to pick our priorities
• happens to be in Hennepin County with the hospital that's in deficit and so we have to pick our priorities
• happens to be in Hennepin County with the hospital that's in deficit and so we have to pick our priorities
• happens to be in Hennepin County with the hospital that's in deficit and so we have to pick our priorities
• Hennepin County with the hospital that's, um, um, um, in deficit, and so we have to pick our priorities

Bills: HF3694, HF3844, HF4006, HF3785, HF3849, HF4102, HF3441, HF3507, HF3562

Keywords: transportation, tow trucks, variable message signs, road safety, emergency service, optometrist, window glazing, motor vehicle regulations, medical prescriptions, transportation safety, infrastructure, construction, appropriation, state project, motorized bicycles, motorcycles, electric vehicles, transportation regulations, safety standards, dealer license

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• Oonie feels that there's a higher priority need for that spending outside of school safety. >> Mr.
• Um, this needs to be a priority.
• These standards touch upon health issues and priorities that communities view very differently throughout
• standards touch upon health<01:19:06.000> issues<01:19:06.560> and<01:19:06.800> priorities
• <01:19:07.440> that health issues and priorities that health issues and priorities that communities

Bills: HF751, HF3550, HF3764, HF1490

Keywords: parental notification, school safety, bullying, harassment, violence, prohibited conduct, student discipline, charter school, school district, data practices, student privacy, parent rights, guardian notification, school incident reporting, cyberbullying, restraint, reasonable force, anti-bullying policy, school administration, student conduct

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• And for me, that's my number one priority is actually fixing the structural issues that we've created
• She said her number one priority was fixing the structural issues created in the state grant program.
• She said that was a substantial hole that would have to be fixed and that her top priority was fixing
• She said fixing the structural issues in the state grant program was her number one priority.
• She said that was a substantial hole that would need to be fixed, and that her number one priority was

Bills: HF3432, HF3411

Keywords: resident tuition, employment, higher education, Minnesota, tuition rates, state universities, immigration status, immigration, postsecondary education, privacy, data access, federal officers, 1183, house

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• endless waiting list is not only a barrier, but a message to students that their well-being is not a priority
• endless waiting list is not only a barrier, but a message to students that their well-being is not a priority
• This pricing model has been unsustainable for more than a decade and has been identified as a priority
• <00:35:54.240> identified<00:35:54.560> as<00:35:54.720> a<00:35:54.960> priority
• <00:35:55.359> for has been identified as a priority for has been identified as a priority

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

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• He said this has been a priority of the Farm Bureau for many years.
• say in strong support this has<00:48:08.720> been<00:48:08.800> a<00:48:08.960> priority
• of<00:48:09.359> the<00:48:09.440> farm<00:48:09.680> bureau has been a priority
• of the farm bureau has been a priority of the farm bureau for<00:48:10.240> for<00:48:10.560>
• 26:29.920> on<01:26:30.159> our The witness said kala are high on the department's priority

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

Keywords: wildlife sanctuary, environmental conservation, Hawaii, nonprofit corporation, freshwater preservation, community stewardship, biodiversity, ecological heritage, conservation, endangered species, wildlife preservation, native birds, sanctuary, nonprofit, DLNR, agricultural district, land use, chapter 195D, chapter 205, chapter 42F

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.

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• Priority one. fall under manufacturing. They all might fall under manufacturing.
• >> Yeah.<00:14:49.680> Priority<00:14:50.079> one.
• I think this needs to be a priority as we look at housing. >> Okay. Thank you, Senator. >> Yeah.
• I think this needs to be a priority<00:54:15.520> as<00:54:15.760> we<00:54:15.920>
• priority as we look at housing. priority as we look at housing.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

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• Like there are very important competing priorities and concerns here.
• Like there are very important competing priorities and concerns here.
• Like there are very important competing priorities and concerns here.
• Like there are very important competing priorities and concerns here.
• Like there are very important competing priorities and concerns here.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee approved the October 15, 2025 minutes and then held a broader discussion on current challenges with data retention and government transparency. Judy Randall of the Office of the Legislative Auditor said historical data is essential for post-audits, which often look back three to five years, and that retention decisions must balance audit needs with the burden of separating public and nonpublic data. She described the records-retention panel process as informal and largely based on individual judgment, noting she had objected to a proposed 60-day email retention period and generally uses a three-year guideline, though she said that standard is not grounded in a formal rule. Members discussed whether auditing standards should set retention periods, with Randall saying auditing is a good starting point but other offices, including the attorney general, also have needs, and that some agency discretion is unavoidable because of the gray area between official records and non-records. Representative Elkins raised the related principle of data minimization, arguing that government should not keep data longer than needed and citing a University of Minnesota legacy data warehouse breach as an example of the risks of retaining unnecessary sensitive information. Randall agreed that data no longer needed is a liability and said her office purges workpapers after five years. Representative Scott pressed whether three years is enough for fraud investigations and financial records; Randall responded that a reasonableness standard is needed and that longer retention can produce diminishing returns, though she said she would follow up on whether financial records should be treated differently. Tanya Tacker of the Rum River Special Education Cooperative testified in support of updating Minnesota’s data-retention laws for schools. She said districts want to protect student information and maintain transparency, but the current general retention schedule dates to 1985 and 2000 and does not reflect digital records, modern systems, or the volume of special education data. She urged modernizing the schedule, clarifying what must be kept in paper versus digitized form, aligning state rules with IDEA and other federal requirements, and providing practical guidance and tools. Members praised the specificity of her recommendations. Dr. BB Newman testified that retention failures in St. Anthony Village have made it difficult to obtain routine municipal and police data, with records delayed, missing, or inconsistently produced and no clear explanation of what systems were searched or whether records were destroyed. Newman argued these gaps undermine statutory access rights and force residents into costly litigation, and recommended stronger retention auditing, documentation of destruction, mandatory disclosure of systems searched, and consequences for noncompliance. In response to questions, Senate counsel said there is generally no direct penalty, but affected parties may seek mandamus, Data Practices Act claims, or informal mediation/opinions from the Data Practices Office. The discussion closed with calls for clearer standards and possible legislative updates to improve compliance and transparency.