Transcript Highlights:

• And then 20 miles per hour is just, it is just so much safer, especially for a toddler, especially for

Summary: Senator Molly Cook held a press event on the deadline to file bills for the 89th Legislative Session to introduce her first legislative package, which she said is guided by a “nurse-first” approach focused on public health and safety. She described six pillars for the agenda: access to health care, safe homes and infrastructure, a clean environment, opportunity through jobs and public education, belonging and connection, and healthy and fair systems. She said the package includes 93 bills, with more than 20 developed from constituent input or collaboration in Senate District 15. Cook highlighted several measures, including SB 1312, which would bar electric service disconnections during extreme weather events; SB 1550, which would require hands-on CPR instruction in schools; SB 1764, which would set clearer rules for exiting a state takeover of a school district; SB 2725, the “Safe Streets Bill,” which would let cities lower residential speed limits to 20 mph without a costly study; SB 2723, which would repeal homosexual conduct as a criminal offense; and SB 2728, which would help new mothers use their Medicaid card to enroll newborns. She also noted bills on AED access, housing affordability and renters’ rights, youth e-cigarette exposure, hurricane preparedness, criminal justice reform, LGBTQ+ protections, women’s health, education accountability, and anti-corruption. In response to questions, Cook emphasized that the smoke-shop and e-cigarette bills were prompted by constituents concerned about a vape shop near an elementary school and would restrict advertising near schools and other sensitive locations, keep minors out of shops, and limit proximity to schools. She also explained that the speed-limit bill would remove the need for a costly study before cities lower residential speeds, while still requiring signage and public notice. The event ended with Cook thanking her staff and saying she looked forward to continuing the work in Austin.

Transcript Highlights:

• IF A CHILD HAS A DISABILITY OF NOT AGE REMOVAL.
• I THINK IT WAS ARISTIDE, WHAT A MINOR WHO IS HOMELESS WERE ESTRANGED FROM THEIR PARENTS SOMETIMES AGED
• ALSO, PEOPLE AGE 15 TO 24 HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY ACTIVE. PEOPLE AGE 15 TO 24 HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY ACTIVE.
• OF 18 IS IT BEING THE AGE AT WHICH A CHILD BECOMES AN ADULT.
• AS FAR AS THE SURVEYS GO, I GREW UP IN THE ICE AGES.

Committee: House Education & Employment Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• ChatGPT says it's accessible to anyone 13 and older, but age verification is minimal.
• if the child puts in their real birth date, which means in order for a 12-year-old to get around the age
• But the good news is, with AI chatbots being younger than my toddler, we are just a few short years away
• </c><01:23:48.400><c> get</c><01:23:48.560><c> around</c><01:23:48.800><c> the</c><01:23:49.120><c> age
• </c> for a 12-year-old to get around the age for a 12-year-old to get around the age verification<01:

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• We have infants turning into toddlers and some of those things.
• There are also states that only have, like, a certain age.
• There are also states that only have, like, a certain age.
• We have emergency shelter for those who are under the age of 18.
• The committee has a sense of an age range.

Committee: Joint Protection and Victim Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Between 2009 and 2024, a total of 1,333 fatal drownings total, all ages, were recorded. 890 took place
• Out of those drownings, 75 percent involved children under the age of three years old.
• This bill will require all homes, regardless of age, and upon sale or transfer, to be equipped with at
• Out of those drownings, 75% involved children under the age of three years old.
• This bill will require all homes, regardless of age, and upon sale or transfer, to be equipped with at

Summary: The Committee on Regulated Industries met with a quorum and took up several bills, beginning with CS for SB 592, the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program. The bill was explained as revising condominium eligibility and grant rules, lowering the approval threshold to 75%, changing roof project rules, capping reimbursement at $175,000 per association, and excluding detached units. Two amendments were adopted, including one clarifying the three-story threshold and another adding wind-driven rain mitigation devices for sliding glass doors as an eligible improvement. A late-filed amendment to appropriate $500 million for the program was adopted on a roll call vote, but the bill itself was then reported favorably. Testimony generally supported the program, with members noting strong demand and the need for more funding, though one amendment drew concern from a window manufacturer and some members about product approval and fairness. The committee then approved CS for SB 622 on pari-mutuel permit holders, which would allow certain facilities to be leased to Hialeah permit holders and other same-class permit holders, with an amendment making the lessee eligible to apply for, rather than automatically receive, a license for inter-track wagering or Hialeah games. CS for SB 1404 on illegal gambling was also reported favorably after amendments added a declaratory judgment process for veterans organizations, strengthened ethics/revolving-door restrictions for Gaming Commission personnel, and then withdrew a late amendment concerning a Miami casino property. Prosecutors and the Gaming Control Commission supported the bill as a tool to target criminal gambling operations, while amusement machine operators and veterans groups raised concerns about overbreadth and uncertainty for lawful operators. SB 604 on residential swimming pool requirements was temporarily postponed after questions about how the new sale/transfer disclosure and safety-feature requirement would work in practice, especially for cash transactions and whether home inspectors would be involved. SB 1682, adding 911 dispatchers to the definition of first responder, was reported favorably with support from dispatchers and members who emphasized the trauma and public safety role of telecommunicators. SB 818 on utility relocation and SB 1228 on spring restoration were both reported favorably, with counties opposing the utility bill as a cost shift to taxpayers and the spring bill drawing support from JEA. The committee also approved CS for SB 948 on flood disclosures for tenants and condo buyers, and CS for SB 1742, a major condominium and cooperative association reform bill that would adjust reserve funding rules, allow temporary reserve pauses after milestone inspections, require substitute budgets over a certain threshold, permit lines of credit in lieu of reserves through 2028, expand disclosure and data reporting, and add conflict-of-interest and governance changes. The condo bill drew extensive discussion and testimony, with supporters praising the flexibility and transparency provisions and some owners urging additional relief for inland, lower-rise buildings; it was ultimately reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• We did age-gate.
• to pretend like age is something we can control.
• We’ve never been able to control anything based on age.
• And really, that's to age 21 or 25.
• We are seeing increased toddler ingestion—unintentional toddler ingestions in our emergency rooms and

Bills: SB5 , SB11 , SB12 , SB 5 , SB 11 , SB 12

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Our population, at the lower age bands that K-12 and K-14 serve, is in lower birth rates.
• in that age group dropping. Now let's move to ADA.
• Does CDE have any trends on what is happening by age group or any data that can help us identify what
• And so we are catching students earlier as infants and toddlers.
• As infants and toddlers, and so we're seeing that rise across the board.

Summary: The committee heard opening public comment and then took up several K-12 budget items in the Governor’s January proposal. On LCFF and necessary small schools, the Department of Finance described a 2.41% COLA, a roughly $2.2 billion increase for districts and charters, and a $30.7 million ongoing augmentation to raise necessary small schools funding by 20%. The LAO supported funding the COLA and said the small schools proposal had merit, but questioned the 20% figure and warned about a sharp funding cliff around the enrollment thresholds. Members and witnesses repeatedly raised declining enrollment, attendance, and the need to align funding with outcomes and local cost pressures. The chair and several members also asked whether consolidation, shared administration, or alternative formulas could better address small district costs, and the issue was left open for further discussion. The panel then discussed special education equalization. Finance proposed $509 million ongoing Proposition 98 funding to raise the statewide special education base rate to $999 per ADA, which would fully equalize SELPA base rates; the LAO said the same target could likely be reached with less money under current assumptions. CDE strongly supported equalization as an equity issue and said about 15% of students are identified with disabilities, with identification rising by roughly 20,000 to 25,000 students per year. Members raised concerns about staffing shortages, high caseloads, and the need to use any additional funds for inclusive practices, alternative diploma pathways, and the extraordinary cost pool. The committee also discussed whether the budget language should reflect the $509 million amount or the $999 rate, and the item was held open. For the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant, Finance proposed restoring $757.3 million one-time to complete the program, while the LAO recommended approval because learning loss remains unresolved and districts have generally used the funds for tutoring, supplemental instruction, and other academic supports. CDE explained that LEAs must revisit their needs assessments and that many districts are using the funds alongside other support systems, but members pressed for clearer accountability and better data on how much money actually goes to tutoring or other direct services. The committee then reviewed the Student Support and Professional Development Discretionary Block Grant, with Finance proposing $2.8 billion one-time and the LAO saying discretionary funding can help districts address local priorities but should be paired with fiscal oversight and possibly more targeted priorities. Members split between supporting flexibility for local needs and worrying that the grant could be used to cover ongoing structural deficits without clear evidence of student-outcome gains; the issue was also held open. Finally, the committee heard a high-level overview of school facilities funding under Proposition 2, with Finance proposing to continue $1.5 billion in bond spending in 2026-27. OPSC said that at the current pace all Prop 2 K-12 funds would likely be exhausted around 2029-30, and that demand is shifting toward modernization as enrollment declines in many areas. Members asked about school closures, reuse of unused sites, and the new small school district facilities program, which OPSC said is moving toward proposed regulations and would begin accepting modernization applications in November 2026 and new construction applications in January 2027. The committee also briefly noted community college facilities funding and asked for more information later in the process.

Transcript Highlights:

• You talked about you disclose facts at the age of 17, you again at the age of 36. again to try to get
• In 2004, at the age of 15, I was injured. introduced to a man who was a pedophile.
• At the age of 23, I was still being molested by them.
• I adopted dad as a toddler.
• And then I was abused in my Boy Scouts troop from age 12. to 15 in the 1980s.

Bills: HB170 , HB865 , HB748 , HJR112 , HB 1110 , HB1495 , HB786 , HB 1130 , HB170

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Keywords: civil liability, self-defense, force, deadly force, legal immunity, attorney's fees, criminal justice, firearms, liability, veterans, gun ownership, immunity, firearm hold agreement, sexual abuse, nondisclosure, confidentiality, public policy, Trey's Law, parental rights, child upbringing

Transcript Highlights:

• No eight-year-old, no ten-year-old should see a man's male parts at that age.
• In this day and age, it's particularly pathetic.
• Today we live in such a day and age where we have to write bills and, in turn, make laws.
• It makes more sense to keep toddlers out of public bathrooms than trans people.
• I'm a middle-aged, middle-class, cisgender, heterosexual woman. I've been led to believe...

Bills: SB7 , SB14 , SB 7 , SB 14

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• The average age is 28.
• , which is the average age of a student.
• The agreement adds nearly 23,000 new child care slots, prioritizes infants and toddlers ages 0 to 3,
• The agreement adds nearly 23,000 new child care slots, prioritizes infants and toddlers ages 0 to 3,
• 28 years of age to 30 years of age.

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• early detection, in their case, would necessarily save his son's life because he lost his son as a toddler

Committee: Senate Education Postsecondary

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education Postsecondary met with a quorum present and first considered CS/SB 1356, relating to the Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases. Senator Burton explained a delete-all amendment that would create the institute at Florida State University, establish the Sunshine Genetics Pilot Program for newborn screening at select sites, and form a Sunshine Genetics Consortium to coordinate researchers and clinicians. The amendment also included $5 million in recurring funding for the institute and $2 million in nonrecurring funding for the pilot program. The committee heard supportive testimony from Gavin Lambert and his mother, who described the benefits of earlier diagnosis for Friedreich’s ataxia, along with support from representatives of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, FSU, BioFlorida, and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. Senators Berman and Harrell spoke in favor of the bill, emphasizing early detection and collaboration. The amendment was adopted, and CS/SB 1356 was reported favorably on a roll call vote. The committee then took up SB 892, which would codify the Florida State University Election Law Center in statute and make it eligible for recurring funding. Senator Simon said the center was created in 2023 with a $1 million nonrecurring appropriation and that the bill would help sustain its work and attract talent in election law and related fields. Senator Berman asked about current funding and whether the center would be supported through recurring General Appropriations Act funding in the future; Senator Simon responded that the bill would allow it to compete for recurring dollars. Jack Rowan, an FSU law student, testified in support and highlighted the center’s work, including a Bush v. Gore 25th anniversary conference. Professor Michael Morley and Lena Rojas also supported the bill. No opposition was presented, and SB 892 was reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• , or under 17 years of age with a declared disability.
• , or under 17 years of age with a declared disability.
• , or under 17 years of age with a declared disability.
• What's the age range of a child in that sentence?
• </c><03:48:30.920><c> uh</c> system of care uh for healthy aging uh system of care uh for healthy aging

Summary: The committee held a Division 3 budget work session focused on the Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Economic Stability. Karen Hebert, the division director, and Nathan White, DHHS chief financial officer, walked members through the governor’s operating budget pages and a briefing book, explaining that the division was consolidated in 2018 and serves programs aimed at financial stability, poverty reduction, child care access, and related supports. Members repeatedly asked for clearer breakdowns of general fund spending, historical growth since consolidation, and how the division’s broad mission areas map onto specific budget lines. A major portion of the discussion centered on the Bureau of Child Development and Head Start collaboration and the child care subsidy program. Hebert said the child care scholarship/subsidy helps low- and moderate-income families access daycare so parents can work, attend school, or receive treatment, and that eligibility is based on state median income up to 85%. She reported a 45% increase in utilization, 4,032 children receiving daycare support as of the end of January, and about 15% of eligible children being served. She also described the quality improvement system “Granite Steps for Quality,” with 160 providers enrolled out of 717 licensed programs, and noted that 1,200 child care professionals added credentials in the last year. Members pressed for cost-benefit information, asking for data on how much the state pays, how many providers and children are served, and whether the department could quantify unmet need. The witnesses said some projects were funded with short-term ARPA child care dollars and that detailed cost data for specific examples, such as the Gorm Community Learning Center expansion, would need to be looked up. They also explained that the child care fund is a federal block grant with required spending set-asides of 9% for quality, 3% for infants and toddlers, and up to 5% for administration, and that unused funds remain available. The committee also reviewed slide 10’s accounting units, including that the Child Care Workforce Fund is 100% general funds and was created as a priority item under HB 2 from the 2024 session, while some other child care-related units are 100% federal funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is critical to ensure that young children, ages 3 to 5, have access to equitable services across
• If providers lose preschool-age children, they may have to raise tuition on remaining families, making
• Exclusion at a young age can perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline.
• The COVID-19 pandemic proved just how invaluable in-school learning is for our students of all ages to
• When kids at this age act out many times, it is not out of malice or ill intent, and it's because they

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held its sixth public hearing and took testimony on a large slate of bills, with the chair moving H. 542/S. 341 on family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care to the top of the agenda so young constituents would not have to wait. Witnesses from labor, community organizations, and FFN providers strongly supported the bill, saying FFN care fills critical gaps for families working nonstandard hours, especially in low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities. Testimony emphasized that FFN providers are currently underpaid, often receive only about $24 per child per day, and should be guaranteed at least the state minimum wage. Witnesses also backed changes to the voucher system to allow families to combine formal and FFN care more flexibly, and they supported creating an FFN advisory council. Committee members asked about the difference between FFN and center-based care, registration requirements, fingerprinting/background checks, EEC’s ongoing study group, and the fiscal impact; witnesses said the current annual cost is about $1.8 million and could rise to about $6 million if all current FFN providers were paid minimum wage, still under 1% of the EEC budget. The committee then closed testimony on that bill. The committee next heard testimony on several preschool and universal pre-K bills, including H. 707 on public preschool facilities, H. 687/S. 339 on universal pre-K and mixed delivery, and related bills such as H. 606, H. 523, H. 618, H. 522, H. 510, and H. 615, many of which were later closed without additional witnesses. A Lowell school official testified that space and facilities funding are major barriers to expanding preschool and that the city has hundreds of children on voucher waitlists. Other witnesses and organizations, including the Early Care and Education Consortium and AFT Massachusetts, supported mixed-delivery universal pre-K and warned that public-school expansion should not undermine community-based providers, whose preschool tuition helps subsidize infant and toddler care. Several witnesses also urged stronger standards for preschool teachers, better staffing ratios, and more integrated special education and support services. The committee accepted written testimony on some bills and closed testimony on the others when no one else came forward. A major portion of the hearing focused on H. 541/S. 373, which would ban school exclusion in pre-K through third grade. Advocates from Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Mass Appleseed, Citizens for Juvenile Justice, AFT Massachusetts, and the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee argued that suspensions and expulsions at young ages harm learning, worsen inequities, and contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. They cited data showing disproportionate impacts on Black and Latinx students, students with disabilities, and low-income children, and described personal stories of children whose behavior improved when schools kept them in class and addressed underlying needs. Committee members asked for updated data on the number of students and districts affected, and witnesses said they would provide more detailed written information. After testimony on this and a few other bills, including S. 372, S. 357, and H. 275/S. 133, the committee closed testimony and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Toddlers, infants, adolescents, and adults all have different sleep duration and sleep pattern differences
• And to Doc Osgood, I would say, at a similar age, I went to bed at an appropriate time because I was
• But at that age, it's just, you know, if you can, please, please, I keep hearing the interest of the

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met with a quorum present and observed a moment of silence for Senator Geraldine Thompson. The committee first took up CS/SB 102, a bill by Senator Gates directing the Department of Education to develop a workforce credential program for students with autism spectrum disorder or students on a modified curriculum, in coordination with the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities and OSHA. Supporters said the bill would help autistic students gain job skills and workplace safety credentials, while an opponent argued the bill should clearly make participation voluntary, expand to other exceptional student groups, include funding, and add stronger accountability. The bill was reported favorably. The committee then considered SB 166, the Administrative Efficiency in Public Schools bill by Senator Simon. The bill would reduce or remove several state mandates and give districts more flexibility on testing, teacher evaluations, contracts and certification, school board operations, instructional materials timelines, audits, facilities planning, emergency make-up days, federal fund use, and public VPK oversight. Senators asked about the impact on student proficiency, teacher evaluations, and the transfer of public VPK oversight to districts; Simon said the tests would remain but count as 30 percent of the grade, districts would retain flexibility in evaluation measures, and only public VPK would shift to districts. Public testimony was largely supportive, with some speakers praising reduced testing and local control, while one senator cautioned that Florida still has a math proficiency problem. The bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard CS/SB 296 by Senator Bradley, which would repeal the 2023 statewide mandate requiring later middle and high school start times and return the decision to local districts, while still requiring districts to inform the community about the health, safety, and academic impacts of sleep deprivation and consider later start times. Supporters argued the mandate created transportation, staffing, and scheduling problems and that local control was more practical, while opponents emphasized sleep science and the benefits of later start times for teens. Several senators discussed the tension between research and district resources, and the bill sponsor said the measure preserves the conversation about sleep while allowing local scheduling decisions. CS/SB 296 was reported favorably, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• At age 11, AM lived in a normal town, living a normal life in Michigan.
• And AGs from across the country gathered together and did something.
• Nearly 80% of teenagers between the ages of 12 and have been exposed to pornography.
• Device-based age verification.
• As a father of three school-age children, this is personal.

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Keywords: child safety, Big Tech, CSAM, legislation, online exploitation, bipartisan, social media

Summary: The committee meeting focused on the pressing issues surrounding child safety online, with a particular emphasis on recent legislative efforts aimed at curbing child sexual exploitation and harmful content accessible through social media platforms. Senators engaged in a heated discussion regarding the implications of Big Tech's lobbying efforts against vital bills such as the Stop CSAM Act and the Kids Online Safety Act. Noteworthy testimonies highlighted real-life impacts of online dangers, including tragic cases of child exploitation and drug-related fatalities linked to social media interactions. The bipartisan nature of the committee's commitment to address these issues showcased a collective determination to make the digital environment safer for the younger generation.

Transcript Highlights:

• So infant and toddler rates were maintained at the 75th percentile of market rate.
• Preschool, school-age, and part-time rates were set at the 50th percentile.
• Our child care licensing rules only allow them to license through the age of 12.
• And it states in here, what are the age requirements for children?
• And then it also states a child with special needs can go up to age 19.

Committee: Joint Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• and high school and or high school or are they more focused on one particular type of school school age
• And so even that my own friend, even at the age of 9, he's very aware as as well as his classmates.
• The bill expands services available for children with special needs to include infants and toddlers.
• communication delays and of completed 10 hours of training and inclusive, early childhood, inclusive school, age
• So we're still trying to dig age how many total bills are and how many total in February is that we're

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:35:22.800><c> a</c> and Mattress that will convert to a and Mattress that will convert to a toddler
• bed for her daughter she toddler bed for her daughter she continues<00:35:25.920><c> in</c><00:35:26.040
• all motans human right is afforded to all motans regardless<01:05:50.359><c> of</c><01:05:50.559><c> age
• under</c><01:05:51.799><c> what</c><01:05:51.920><c> is</c><01:05:52.079><c> now</c> regardless of age
• under what is now regardless of age under what is now current<01:05:52.680><c> law</c><01:05:53.400>

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• these base rates for family home providers and child care centers, which include different regions and age
• ranges for infants, toddlers, preschool, and school-age child care.
• I'm 80 this year, the average age of the TRS 1 and PERS 1 retirees.
• We, including myself, have far surpassed the anticipated age expectancy of 72 for women.
• As a retiree, I care for an aging parent in my home who requires a variety of medical specialty care

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee held a public hearing on a series of bills, beginning with House Bill 2689 on Working Connections Child Care. Staff explained that the proposed substitute would keep eligibility at 60% of state median income, eliminate scheduled expansions to 75% and 85%, reduce future subsidy rates from the 85th to the 75th percentile of market, end enhanced regional rates, and change reimbursement rules from prospective enrollment-based payments back to attendance-based payments with a reduced monthly payment after 11 absent days. Child care advocates thanked the committee for removing the proposed cap on the program but opposed the cuts to provider rates and eligibility expansions, warning of harm to families and providers. The committee then heard Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5124 on Medicaid network adequacy for post-acute care, with staff noting administrative costs and indeterminate fiscal effects; hospitals supported the bill as a way to reduce discharge delays and reliance on single-case agreements. Senate Bill 5832, which would raise the new motor vehicle arbitration fee from $3 to $6 to support the Lemon Law arbitration program, drew support from the Attorney General’s Office and auto dealers, who said the fee had not been updated since 1995 and the program was underfunded. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5862, providing a one-time 3% COLA for certain PERS 1 and TRS 1 retirees, with retirees testifying in favor and local government representatives warning about added employer costs. The committee next heard Senate Bill 5922, allowing school districts to transfer money from the Transportation Vehicle Fund to other funds if they reduce their fleet and receive OSPI approval; staff said the bill would mainly add administrative work for OSPI, and no one testified. Substitute Senate Bill 5923 would allow a hospital on an island in Skagit County to qualify as a critical access hospital if federally certified; Island Health testified that the designation would help sustain rural services, and a committee member asked about bed count and Medicaid/charity-care pressures. Senate Bill 5944 would require language access providers to bargain over compensation for missed or canceled appointments and clarify that statutes prevail over conflicting contract terms; WFSE supported the bill, saying it would equalize bargaining rights across agencies. Substitute Senate Bill 5972 would extend interest arbitration rights to correctional employees in city and county jails regardless of population size; labor supported the bill as a retention tool, while cities and counties opposed it, arguing it would raise costs and should include ability-to-pay protections. The committee also heard Senate Bill 5988, authorizing the Department of Health to continue accrediting opioid treatment programs and charge accreditation fees, which DOH said was needed to avoid winding down the program. Later, the committee heard Senate Bill 6151, which would move Ecology fee revenues for landfill methane emissions and laboratory accreditation into dedicated accounts; Ecology supported the bill as improving transparency and reinvesting fees into the programs, and staff said the lab fee shift would be offset by a related budget action. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6194 would pay a rural hospital on a federally recognized Indian reservation, specifically Astria Toppenish, at 150% of the Medicaid fee-for-service rate beginning in 2027; hospital leaders and community members testified that the hospital serves a high-Medicaid, rural, and tribal population and faces persistent losses. Finally, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6302 would direct L&I to investigate possible misclassification of independent contractors on public works projects involving multiple workers doing the same finishing work; labor and business representatives both described it as a negotiated compromise to address underground economy abuses. The committee took no final votes during the hearing and ended by reiterating amendment deadlines for bills scheduled for executive session.

Transcript Highlights:

• By 2030, a quarter of rural Minnesotans will be over the age of 65.
• </c> Minnesotans will be over the age of 65.
• </c><01:12:12.920><c> I</c><01:12:13.000><c> felt</c> watching my toddler in pain.
• I felt watching my toddler in pain.
• So, the fact she ended up young age.

Bills: HF4343

Committee: House Taxes