Bills: HB25 , HB48 , HB149 , HB254 , HB26 , HB192 , HCR3 , HCR4 , HCR5 , HCR6 , HCR8 , HCR14 , HCR16 , HR1 , HR2 , HR3 , HR4 , HR6 , HR7 , HR8 , HR9 , HR12 , HR11 , HR13 , HR14 , HR15 , HR16 , HR20 , HR22 , HR23 , HR24 , HR25 , HR26 , HR27 , HR28 , HR29 , HR30 , HR31 , HR32 , HR33 , HR45 , HR48 , HR49 , HR51 , HR52 , HR55 , HR56 , HR57 , HR59 , HR60 , HR61 , HR62 , HR63 , HR64 , HR65 , HR66 , HR70 , HR71 , HR72 , HR74 , HCR2 , HCR7 , HR10 , HR21 , HR35 , HR36 , HR37 , HR38 , HR39 , HR40 , HR42 , HR43 , HR44 , HR46 , HR47 , HR50 , HR53 , HR54 , HR67 , HR69 , HR75 , HCR 5 , HCR 6 , HCR 8 , HCR 14 , HCR 16 , HR 1 , HR 3 , HR 4 , HR 6 , HR 7 , HR 8 , HR 9 , HR 12 , HR 11 , HR 13 , HR 14 , HR 15 , HR 16 , HR 20 , HR 22 , HR 23 , HR 24 , HR 25 , HR 26 , HR 27 , HR 28 , HR 29 , HR 30 , HR 31 , HR 32 , HR 33 , HR 45 , HR 48 , HR 49 , HR 51 , HR 52 , HR 55 , HR 56 , HR 57 , HR 59 , HR 60 , HR 61 , HR 62 , HR 63 , HR 64 , HR 65 , HR 66 , HR 70 , HR 71 , HR 72 , HR 74 , HCR 7 , HR 10 , HR 21 , HR 35 , HR 36 , HR 37 , HR 38 , HR 39 , HR 40 , HR 42 , HR 43 , HR 44 , HR 46 , HR 47 , HR 50 , HR 53 , HR 54 , HR 67 , HR 69 , HB 25 , HB 48 , HB 149 , HB 254 , HB 26 , HB 192

Keywords: ivermectin, pharmacist authority, prescription-free, healthcare regulation, patient access, HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert

Transcript Highlights:

• She could not attend today in that she has two students that she just brought on board today, and she
• With the two new students that came in, and with the partnerships that we have with Turtle Mountain College
• early intervention and prevention services, peer support services, crisis interventions, including mobile

Committee: Joint Tribal and State Relations Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She could not attend today because she has two students that she just brought on board today, and she
• Because of the, you know, that's a good point with the two new students that came in, with the partnerships
• early intervention and prevention services, peer support services, crisis interventions, including mobile

Committee: Joint Tribal and State Relations Committee

Summary: The meeting focused on Turtle Mountain’s public health and behavioral health priorities, especially access to rural health transformation funding and a long-running data use agreement with the state. Tribal public health leaders described how, during COVID, a temporary data-sharing arrangement allowed them to do their own contact tracing and case management, and they argued that a similar agreement is now needed to respond more quickly to very high syphilis rates and other infectious disease concerns. Committee members generally expressed support and said they would follow up with state officials, while tribal representatives emphasized that they already have the staff and infrastructure to use timely data effectively. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to the Turtle Mountain Recovery Center and the broader issue of the IMD exclusion and residential treatment capacity. Tribal leaders described the center’s opening, its five levels of care, its 16-bed limit, and its efforts to become financially sustainable through billing, grants, and partnerships. They shared success stories and argued for an IMD waiver or similar flexibility so the center could expand to 32 beds and better meet local need. Committee members discussed the policy barriers to expanding residential treatment, including federal approval timelines, state funding choices, and the need to preserve a continuum of care that includes outpatient and community-based services. The committee then heard a detailed presentation from Hector Hernandez-Dogato of the National Health Law Program on the history and mechanics of the IMD exclusion and Section 1115 waivers. He explained that the exclusion limits Medicaid payment for services in facilities with more than 16 beds, but noted existing exceptions and alternatives such as state plan options, managed care arrangements, telehealth, and community-based services. He also reviewed mixed results from states that have used IMD waivers, warning that they do not automatically improve overdose deaths, emergency room use, or access to community care, and may risk reinforcing institutionalization if not paired with strong upstream services. The committee discussed a draft bill to appropriate $49,000 and one FTE for HHS to pursue an IMD waiver, with members suggesting the bill may need to explicitly include serious mental illness as well as substance use disorder and asking for department input at a future meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm interested in finding why we eliminated the statewide Medi-Cal mobile crisis benefit.
• Yesterday in this very room, the California Association of Student Councils were here, and they made
• Yesterday in this very room, the California Association of Student Councils were here, and they make

Committee: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review

Summary: The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee heard opening remarks on the Governor’s 2026-27 budget and presentations from the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Chair Laird described the proposal as roughly balanced with $23 billion in reserves, while Vice Chair Niello argued the revenue estimates were overly optimistic and warned of a structural deficit, calling for a deeper review of programs and concern over the state’s $20 billion unemployment insurance debt. Finance said the budget is balanced in the budget year but still leaves a roughly $2.9 billion deficit, with out-year gaps above $20 billion, and characterized the plan as largely a workload budget with limited new spending or cuts. The LAO said its office sees substantial downside risk to the revenue forecast, emphasized the volatility of stock-market-driven revenues, and urged the Legislature to begin addressing the structural deficit now rather than waiting until May. Members focused on the implications of federal policy changes, Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and the MCO tax, as well as the state’s reserve strategy. Senators Menjivar and Richardson raised concerns about health coverage reductions, county costs, hospital finances, and the lack of a broader revenue solution, while Finance said the state cannot fully backfill federal cuts and is still assessing the impacts. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposal to suspend the rainy day fund deposit and setting aside the proposed Proposition 98 settle-up rather than using it for spending. Finance defended both proposals as necessary to balance the budget year and said it plans to begin discussions with legislative leaders before the May Revision. The committee also discussed climate and transportation funding, including cap-and-trade/GGRF allocations for Cal Fire, interest earnings from the fund, zero-emission vehicle incentives, and AB 617 air quality investments. Senator Reyes questioned the focus on light-duty ZEV incentives instead of heavy-duty vehicles, and Finance said the proposal is intended to partially replace the federal consumer tax credit and that some heavy-duty funding remains from prior years. Senator Richardson also raised concerns about Olympics-related infrastructure, courthouse repairs, and displaced workers, while other members stressed homelessness funding and the need for more immediate action on out-year budget problems. No formal votes or actions were taken during the portion provided; the hearing was informational and moved into member questions after the presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• we're going to simply continue to struggle with operable or interoperable radio communications, land mobile
• items for her classroom—hundreds of dollars of school supplies and things that she needs for these students
• and her Texas students—and that's all gone.

Bills: HB48 , HB66 , HB68 , HB71 , HB75 , HB164 , HB171 , HB254 , SB3 , SB18 , HB123 , HB149 , HB117

Committee: House Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select

Keywords: HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert, Silver Alert, Blue Alert, missing persons alerts, accessible alerts, hearing impaired

Summary: The committee met in special session to hear a series of flood, preparedness, and youth-camp safety bills, with members repeatedly noting that many of the measures were intended as planning, warning, or authority-clarifying bills rather than direct spending bills. House Bill 254 would expand eligibility for the Rural Infrastructure Disaster Recovery Program to include Kerr County and 18 other flood-affected counties by raising the GDP cap and lowering the poverty threshold; it drew no opposition and was left pending. House Bill 68 would direct a study of flood mitigation in flatland areas, especially in the Rio Grande Valley, to develop cost-effective drainage and infrastructure recommendations; local officials and advocates supported it, and it was also left pending. The committee then heard several youth camp bills tied to the recent Hill Country flooding. House Bill 75 would impose flood-aware building and site standards for youth camps near floodplains, and House Bill 71 would require camps and youth activity entities to submit emergency preparedness plans to TDEM, coordinate with local responders, and maintain readiness protocols; both bills were supported by safety advocates and camp representatives, and both were left pending. House Bill 171 would require campgrounds near flood-prone waters to give written flood-risk notice to campers and obtain signed acknowledgment; it was presented as informed consent and left pending. Testimony on these bills emphasized Camp Mystic and other recent flood tragedies, with some witnesses urging broader building-code and floodplain reforms. The committee also heard House Bill 117, which would let counties regulate impervious cover for flood mitigation in unincorporated areas. Supporters, including county officials, environmental groups, and residents, argued that rapid development in the Hill Country and other growing areas is worsening runoff and downstream flooding; opponents from the builders’ association said counties already have substantial authority and warned about overreach into rural property use. After extensive testimony, the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 18 would streamline permitting for certain flood control districts to repair dams and reservoirs and build small holding areas, and it was left pending after supportive testimony from Plum Creek Conservation District. Senate Bill 3 would create a state-backed outdoor flood warning siren program for identified flood-prone areas, funded through a grant program; witnesses generally supported it, though some cautioned that sirens are not sufficient by themselves and may not be heard indoors or in overnight storms. It too was left pending. The committee also began hearing House Bill 149 on public-safety radio interoperability, but the transcript cuts off before the bill’s full testimony or action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• of like, you know, when you get out your iPhone, you know, you might have AT&T, you might have T-Mobile
• That's a student being able to put themselves through school.

Keywords: 1212, all

Summary: The commission met to continue studying credit card payments, interchange fees, fraud, chargebacks, and the impact of card processing costs on small businesses, especially restaurants and retailers. Members heard extensive testimony from credit unions, retailers, restaurant owners, payment-industry representatives, and an airline trade group. Supporters of reform argued that swipe fees are a major and rising expense, that businesses are paying fees on sales tax and tips that are merely pass-through amounts, and that merchants have little negotiating power. Several restaurant and retail witnesses described thin margins, higher costs for card-not-present transactions, and chargebacks that they said usually favor cardholders and leave merchants absorbing losses and fees. Witnesses from the Cooperative Credit Union Association cautioned that state-level interchange regulation could reduce revenue used for fraud prevention, compliance, and member services, and could lead to higher rates or reduced access. Retail and restaurant representatives countered that fees have risen sharply, that statements are difficult to decipher, and that rewards programs and card-network pricing are subsidized by merchants and ultimately by all consumers. The Massachusetts Restaurant Association and independent operators urged legislation to bar fees on tax and tip portions of transactions and to allow businesses to pass along card fees if they choose, saying this would improve transparency and fairness and help keep small restaurants open. Other testimony came from the National Restaurant Association, which supported interchange reform and said modern point-of-sale systems can already separate tax and tip amounts, and from a payments-industry group that emphasized the broader economic benefits of digital payments and warned against state-by-state rules. Airlines for America opposed changes that could undermine airline credit card rewards programs. Commission members asked detailed questions about fee structures, card types, chargebacks, POS systems, and whether consumers paying cash are also affected. No votes or formal actions were taken at the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our seniors are unaware that they qualify for assistance, and our students are relying on food banks
• expansion of universal transitional kindergarten, operating and material costs rising wildly, and family mobility

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some are visiting our military men and women who are stationed at JBLM, families visiting students at
• So penalizing small property owners through additional taxes undermines economic mobility, discourages

Summary: The House Finance Committee heard briefings and public testimony on several bills related to local tax authority and exemptions. HB 2559 would let cities and counties impose an additional 4% lodging/short-term rental excise tax starting in 2027, with revenues dedicated to affordable housing programs and up to 15% for administration. Staff explained existing lodging tax limits and estimated substantial local collections, while the prime sponsor and supporters argued it would give local governments a needed tool to address housing shortages caused in part by short-term rentals. Opponents, including short-term rental owners and hosts, said the tax would hurt tourism communities, reduce supplemental income for owners, and should not single out one lodging segment. The hearing on HB 2559 was suspended and later reopened for additional testimony; no vote was taken. The committee also heard HB 2133, which would make permanent the property tax exemption for multipurpose nonprofit senior citizen centers. Staff said the exemption is currently set to expire in 2028 and that the bill would remove it from the automatic 10-year sunset. The sponsor and a veteran/senior center perspective emphasized that the exemption helps keep senior centers open and supports isolated older adults. A question was raised about whether a broader nonprofit community center with senior-focused space would qualify, and staff said they would follow up. The hearing on HB 2133 was then closed. HB 2135 would increase and extend the adaptive housing sales and use tax remittance for disabled veterans, raising the individual lifetime cap from $2,500 to $5,000, increasing the statewide annual cap, and extending the program’s expiration to 2038. Staff said the fiscal impact would be minimal because use is low, and a veterans coalition representative supported the bill as a way to ensure more federal grant dollars go toward home modifications. The hearing on HB 2135 was closed. The committee spent the most time on HB 2442, an eight-part local government tax and fund-flexibility bill. It would expand uses of existing REET revenues, allow cities to adopt an affordable-housing REET under certain conditions, authorize county public utility taxes with a low-income assistance set-aside, create a new local sales tax for children and family services, broaden housing-related sales tax uses, restructure mental health and veterans property tax levies, extend levy lid lift periods, and allow rental car tax revenues to be used for criminal justice purposes. Supporters from counties, cities, housing groups, and some local officials said the bill would provide needed fiscal flexibility and new tools to address housing, public safety, and service demands. Opponents from utilities, realtors, water and sewer districts, wireless carriers, auto dealers, and tax critics argued the bill would raise regressive costs, especially on housing and utility customers, and that some provisions lacked a sufficient nexus to the original taxes. The hearing on HB 2442 was closed after extensive testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• going to simply continue to struggle with an operational and interoperable radio communications land mobile
• Hundreds of dollars worth of school supplies and things that she needs for her Texas students.

Bills: HB48 , HB 66 , HB 68 , HB71 , HB75 , HB164 , HB171 , HB254 , SB 3 , SB 18 , HB123 , HB149 , HB117

Committee: House Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select

Keywords: HB 48, Texas alert notification systems, emergency alerts, public warning systems, alert fatigue, notification fatigue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety, DPS alerts, emergency management, State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, STEAR, disaster notifications, weather alerts, Amber Alert, Silver Alert, Blue Alert, missing persons alerts, accessible alerts, hearing impaired

Transcript Highlights:

• That's not fair to our school; it's not fair to our students.
• Mobility issues, but certainly the workforce pipeline is absolutely number one.

Bills: HB1523 , HB2109 , HB2694 , HB3525 , HB3898 , HB4646 , HB5188 , HB5219 , HB5320 , HB5651 , HB5655 , HB5659 , HB5662 , HB5672

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: aquifer conservation, Class V injection well, environmental regulation, groundwater protection, municipal water supply, temporary prohibition, water management, reservoir construction, state water plan, Texas Water Code, environmental impact, Brazoria Drainage District, commissioners, elections, vacancies, resignation, HB 3525, North Texas Groundwater Conservation District, groundwater permit, permit amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• a natural disaster, an outage of power or internet disruption, a rural area where connectivity to mobile
• language to kind of carve out the more innocuous surveys that teachers might want to know about their students

Summary: The committee took up a large health and human services agenda and first approved HB 711, the Spectrum Alert bill, which would create a statewide alert system for missing autistic children and require FDLE to coordinate training with state and local agencies. The measure drew a supportive waiver from the Florida Smart Justice Alliance and passed unanimously, 24-0, reported favorably. Members then considered CS for HB 229 on health facilities, which modernizes the Health Facilities Authority Act to allow additional nonprofit health system structures to use tax-exempt financing. Two amendments were adopted: one requiring advance notice, public hearings, and stakeholder notifications before a nonprofit hospital closure, and another removing a property tax exemption for a nonprofit hospital that closes and fails to maintain emergency services for 120 days, applied retroactively to January 1, 2025. The Florida Hospital Association opposed the amendments, citing workforce and nonprofit-status concerns, but the bill as amended passed 24-0. The committee also approved CS for HB 1405 on juvenile justice status offenders, expanding early truancy intervention, parent involvement, and shelter placement review timelines; it passed 24-0. CS for HB 27, joining the Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact, and its linked public records bill CS for HB 29 both passed unanimously after supportive testimony from several advocacy and business groups. The committee then debated HB 111 on out-of-network referrals and HB 1083 on patient access to records. HB 111 would require referring practitioners to inform patients in writing when a referral is out of network and to apply out-of-network payments to deductibles; it drew opposition from medical groups over administrative burden and patient-care concerns, but passed 17-8. HB 1083 would shorten the time for producing medical records to 14 working days and standardize access rules, with amendments clarifying portal access and delaying the effective date to January 1, 2026; despite opposition from some health information and provider groups over HIPAA and access concerns, it passed 19-7 as amended. Later, the committee approved HB 883, allowing autonomous practice for psychiatric nurse practitioners with the required credentials, after strong support from nurse practitioner groups and opposition from psychiatric and medical associations; it passed 23-3. HB 1297, which aligns Florida’s electronic prescribing exceptions with federal law and removes several state exemptions, passed 19-7 despite opposition from hospice, emergency physician, rheumatology, and medical groups concerned about paper prescriptions in emergencies and hard-to-find medications. HB 1353 on home health care services and CS for HB 989 on foster home licensure transfers both passed unanimously after supportive amendments. The committee also heard HB 1505 on parental rights, which would require written parental consent for many health care services, surveys, and biofeedback devices for minors and expand parental access to records; the bill drew extensive support testimony but also questions and concerns about confidentiality, abuse reporting, and existing exceptions, and the transcript ended before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> "With the dredging in Mobile Bay." "Well, that's more stringent in the EPA.
• Uh, Representative Jones from Mobile, you're recognized. Thank you for the recognition.
• The cancer center in Mobile, there's a certain kind of cancer that goes in that Gulf region, and as a
• ,</c> the um the cancer center in Mobile, the um the cancer center in Mobile, there's<01:48:59.840><c
• Chair would like to recognize Representative Drummond from Mobile.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are ineligible expenses, and you can see those there: radio systems, OLETs, mobile software applications
• And you can see those there: radio systems, OLETs, mobile software applications, employee salaries, construction

Keywords: 914, all

Summary: The Oklahoma 911 Management Authority met with a quorum and approved the April 2 regular meeting minutes and financial reports for February through April 2026. The board then adopted the FY 2027 budget, which included a 5% staff increase, reclassifying the 911-98 liaison into a training coordinator role, adding a GIS specialist position, higher funding for training, travel, NG911 deployment, cybersecurity training, recruitment, and the 911 coordinator workshop, along with increased GIS repository funding and a new technology roadmap allocation. The budget also set aside $3 million for a one-time PSAP distribution and maintained grant closeout and reserve funding levels. The board approved the $3 million PSAP one-time distribution and its guidelines, using the statutory population-and-land-area formula, with funds restricted to GIS, eligible technology items, or grant matching rather than salaries or construction. Members also denied Washington County 911’s request to waive the 20% match for a radio console grant after staff found the county had sufficient carryover and other funding sources. The board approved an in-person 911 telecommunicator training curriculum and simulator for technical schools, with a requirement for a full simulator and NENA-approved certification, and approved a $249,820 statewide recruitment campaign with ICG Advertising to promote 911 careers. On GIS compliance, the board authorized staff, with legal counsel, to begin enforcement steps against PSAPs that do not complete required GIS data remediation and repository uploads by the June deadline, including notice and possible escrow action by the Oklahoma Tax Commission. The board also approved several individual grants, including projects for fiber/NextGen 911 transition, ADA furniture, NextGen 911 equipment, a consolidation feasibility study, recorder upgrades, and radio console upgrades for multiple counties and PSAPs. Committee and staff reports highlighted 911 Day at the Capitol, upcoming POP grant availability, new grant categories for FY 2027, cybersecurity training planning, NG911/GIS tool development, 988 outreach, and ongoing project and standards work.

Transcript Highlights:

• don't think it's an issue, and the reason is because this is actually a request from specifically mobile
• food vendors who... ...specifically mobile food vendors, who the current fire suppression systems are

Bills: HB1823 , HB3031 , HB3369 , HB3378 , HB3429 , HB3624 , HB3657 , HB3880 , HB4215 , HB4476

Committee: Senate Economic Development, Workforce and Tourism

Keywords: housing finance, Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, publication requirements, housing policy, state regulations, HB3031, North Pointe Workforce Development Initiative, workforce development, job training, skills training, job placement, local hiring, economic development, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, revolving fund, state treasury, appropriation, budget, workforce investment, employment outcomes

Summary: The Senate Economic Development, Workforce, and Tourism Committee met for a work session focused largely on executive nominations and several House bills. The committee advanced nominations for Jared Lundry and Norville Ritter to the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission, Amy Blackburn as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation, and Jason Kays to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, with each nominee describing their background and priorities and receiving favorable roll-call votes. Members also considered and advanced a series of bills affecting housing, tourism, workforce, and related programs. HB 1823 would require the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency to provide advance notice of HOME program changes, limit retroactive rule changes, and give preference to nonprofit grant recipients; it passed 8-1. HB 4476 created a revolving fund related to a music industry rebate program and passed 7-2 after an amendment raising a threshold from 25,000 to 28,000. HB 3880 updated tourism advertising law to include digital media and allowed the Oklahoma Today magazine to move online, with an amendment making publication permissive rather than mandatory; it passed 8-1. HB 3031 created a revolving fund for workforce development tied to skilled trades and the North Point Workforce Development Initiative, and HB 3378 staggered terms on the Oklahoma Science and Technology Research and Development Board; both passed. The committee also passed HB 3369, which aligned LP gas and fire-suppression rules for mobile food vendors and required annual fire safety training, HB 3429, which authorized up to $50 million in bonds for CareerTech-related economic development projects, HB 3657, which clarified agricultural labor reporting and allowed OESC to share workforce data with the Workforce Commission, and HB 4215, which lowered the minimum spend threshold for Oklahoma film post-production incentives from $50,000 to $20,000. Finally, HB 3624, a controversial bill changing how county lines are determined along shifting waterways, drew extensive debate over taxation, property records, and rural impacts before passing 6-5. The chair noted the committee likely had one more meeting remaining and invited further suggested language on the county-line issue.

Transcript Highlights:

• support SB 1297, which would establish a new mechanism to finance wildfire mitigation, including by mobilizing
• The key is mobilizing private capital to the cause.

Committee: Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development

Summary: The Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development met as a subcommittee due to the lack of a quorum, then later established quorum and took up a series of bills, mostly sunset extensions for licensing boards. SB 1302, SB 1303, SB 1304, SB 1363, and SB 1368 all dealt with extending board operations to January 1, 2031 and making related technical or policy changes. SB 1303 for the Board of Naturopathic Medicine added a fictitious name permit program and other administrative changes, while SB 1304 for the Respiratory Care Board drew significant testimony over whether licensed vocational nurses should be allowed to perform basic respiratory tasks in skilled nursing facilities and hospitals. SB 1363 updated barbering and cosmetology apprenticeship and licensing rules, and SB 1368 added a retired license category and strengthened continuing education oversight for speech-language pathology, audiology, and hearing aid dispensers. The committee also heard SB 865, which would create a California Music Festival Preservation Grant Program to support large independent multi-day music festivals. Supporters, including Visit Sacramento and festival promoters, said the bill would protect jobs, tourism, hotel nights, and local tax revenue; opponents raised concerns about using state funds during a deficit year and questioned whether profitable events should receive subsidies. The committee also heard SB 1297, which would create regional public-private partnerships and financing tools for wildfire mitigation projects; the author and supporters said it would help address the state’s large wildfire prevention funding gap by leveraging local and private investment, while members asked how the bonds would be repaid and whether the state would bear costs. SB 993, presented on behalf of Senator Ochoa-Bogue, would restore privacy protections for mental health professionals working in correctional and state hospital settings by limiting routine disclosure of identifying information while preserving a complaint process. Supporters described safety threats, stalking, and staffing concerns, and the bill passed unanimously. SB 1304 also passed after committee discussion, with members and the author noting ongoing negotiations over LVN scope and training in higher-acuity settings. SB 865 passed on a 9-1 vote, SB 1297 passed 10-0, and the sunset bills SB 1302, SB 1303, SB 1363, and SB 1368 all advanced unanimously to the Senate Appropriations Committee. SB 1333 was not heard, and SB 1445 was on the consent calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• support SB 1297, which would establish a new mechanism to finance wildfire mitigation, including by mobilizing
• The key is mobilizing private capital to the cause.

Committee: Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Upward mobility, where if you have low-paying classifications, we have programs to help individuals grow
• And again, we have upward mobility.

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee first handled several routine items, approving two governor appointments not required to appear: Armin Meyer to the Division of Consumer Financial Protection and Uca Danka to the California State Lottery Commission. The committee also approved referral of bills to committees, a Rules waiver request to suspend SR 55 for guest access on the Senate floor on April 6, and floor acknowledgments, with each action passing 5-0. The committee then heard from Arania Ortega, appointed to the Public Employment Relations Board. Members asked about her background at CalHR and the Department of Finance, her approach to board decision-making, recusal rules, the status of AB 288, PERB’s caseload and backlog, ride-share enforcement, and the legislative employees’ unionization process. Ortega said PERB currently has no backlog, is preparing for possible new workloads, and has recusal procedures that would automatically exclude her from certain state employee and child care cases for one year. Public testimony supported her appointment, and the committee voted 5-0 to move her nomination to the full Senate. The committee also heard from Monica Erickson, nominated to lead the Department of Human Resources. Questions focused on state labor negotiations, CalPERS, recruitment and retention, telework, discipline and HR training, DEIA efforts, hiring pipelines, degree requirements, veteran hiring, return-to-office implementation, and the gender pay gap. Erickson said CalHR has reduced the vacancy rate from 20% to 17%, is expanding recruitment tools and class consolidations, is working on a skills-matching tool and career counseling, and has helped reduce the gender pay gap from 21.1% in 2013 to 12.2%. Public witnesses spoke in support, and the committee approved her nomination 5-0 to advance to the Senate floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• Upward mobility, where if you have low-paying classifications, we have programs to help individuals grow
• And again, we have upward mobility. And let's see.

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met with quorum and first approved several non-appearance items, including the appointments of Armin Meyer to the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation and Uca Danka to the California State Lottery Commission. The committee also approved references to bills, a request to suspend Senate Rule 55 for guest access on the Senate floor, and floor acknowledgments, all by 5-0 votes. The committee then heard the appointment of Arania Ortega to the Public Employment Relations Board. Members questioned her about her background at CalHR and Finance, PERB’s case backlog, implementation of AB 288, recusal rules tied to her prior work, the ride-share caseload, and the board’s role in legislative employee unionization. Ortega said PERB currently has no backlog, is prepared to implement AB 288 if litigation changes, and has strong recusal procedures; she also said the state employee cases affected by her recusal would be a small share of PERB’s workload. Public testimony supported the nominee, and the committee voted 5-0 to send the appointment to the full Senate. The committee also heard Monica Erickson’s appointment as Director of the Department of Human Resources. Questions focused on labor negotiations, CalPERS fiduciary responsibilities, recruitment and retention, telework, discipline and accountability, DEIA efforts, hard-to-fill classifications, degree requirements, return-to-office implementation, and the gender pay gap. Erickson said CalHR is working on recruitment tools, class consolidations, apprenticeship pathways, policy forums, and a skills-matching pilot to help applicants, while also addressing pay equity and reducing barriers such as unnecessary degree requirements. Public witnesses spoke in support, and the committee approved her appointment 5-0 to advance to the Senate floor before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• So a quick overview of the response, Governor Ferguson proclaimed an emergency on December 10th, mobilized
• was happening with animal care, whether technical assistance was needed, and whether we needed to mobilize

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It creates automatic mobility for CPAs licensed in other states to serve clients in Florida without having
• It creates automatic mobility for CPA's license in other states to serve clients in Florida without having

Summary: The Committee on Rules met with a quorum and took up a long agenda of bills, most of which were reported favorably. Early measures included CS/SB 62 on candidate qualification, which would allow qualified candidates or political parties to sue over violations of party-affiliation qualification requirements, and CS/SB 156, the Officer Jason Raynor Act, which would clarify resistance-to-officer language and impose a mandatory life sentence for manslaughter committed against a law enforcement officer. SB 156 drew strong support from the City of Daytona Beach and law enforcement groups, while the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers opposed parts of it, arguing the bill removed existing limits on force and erased sentencing distinctions. The committee also approved several open-government sunset review bills, including CS/SB 7014, SB 7016, CS/SB 7012, SB 7000, SB 7002, SB 7004, SB 7006, and SB 7008, all of which extend or preserve public records or meeting exemptions for topics such as social media investigations, small business loan records, motor vehicle enforcement records, emergency shelter information, military affairs records, conviction integrity unit materials, Public Service Commission proceedings, and Gaming Control Commission records. The committee also approved SB 624, allowing batterers’ intervention programs to offer optional faith-based activities, with supporters saying faith-based counseling can help reduce domestic violence and opponents not appearing in the excerpt. HB 167 on former phosphate mining lands was reported favorably after supporters from the Florida Chamber and Associated Industries backed the bill, which limits strict liability claims involving natural geological substances on former phosphate mines but not phosphogypsum stacks. CS/SB 48 on housing, as amended, would require local governments to allow accessory dwelling units, limit certain local barriers, and extend housing incentives; it drew broad support from housing, business, real estate, and advocacy groups. SB 288 on rural electric cooperatives, CS/SB 364 on CPA licensure modernization, SB 292 on public records protection for appellate court clerks, CS/SB 296 and CS/SB 298 on domestic and dating violence protections and related public records exemptions, and SB 386 on farm equipment warranty protections were also reported favorably, generally with supportive testimony from affected industries, advocacy groups, or public safety stakeholders. Later, the committee approved SB 168 expanding public nuisance law to include gambling houses and increase penalties and enforcement tools. It also heard but temporarily postponed CS/CS/SB 290 on the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services after the chair allowed public testimony because many stakeholders had traveled to attend; one opponent, a longtime builder, argued the bill could criminalize contractors who withhold payment for deficient subcontractor work. The meeting concluded with members recording additional votes on selected bills and then adjourning.