Transcript Highlights:

• We were scheduled to have a discussion on noncompliance with municipal accounting code for the city of
• And noncompliance with the code. This is a repeat finding.
• We noted the following issues were in noncompliance with the Arkansas Code when reviewing cash.
• We noted the following issues were in noncompliance with the Arkansas Code when reviewing cash.
• Do you have laborers that work with you? Yes. Are they all licensed? No. No, I’ve got two.

Summary: The committee approved the February 12 minutes and received updates on delinquent municipal water and sewer reports for 2022 and 2023, noting continued progress toward compliance and reinstatement of turnback funds for several cities. It also deferred several matters to the June 4 meeting, including Fargo’s municipal accounting noncompliance report, Jericho’s street-fund misuse issue, Biggers and Holly Grove deferred reports, and a group of private water and sewer reports lacking proper responses. Members then heard and filed a detailed report on the City of Strong, which involved repeat findings on undeposited receipts, improper use of solid waste funds, unsupported spending, late payroll tax payments, accounting control problems, and fund balance issues. Mayor Darrell Howell described corrective steps, including new internal controls, outside CPA assistance, repayment of misapplied funds, budget amendments, and efforts to address the findings; the committee commended the city’s efforts and filed the report. The committee also filed reports on Thornton Waterworks, Calhoun County, Salem, Briarcliffe, Compton Water Association, Montgomery County Regional Public Water Authority, Camden, Johnson County, and Sparkman, while deferring several private water reports and other unresolved items. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Pulaski County Regional Solid Waste Management District and other regional solid waste districts. The audit found issues in Pulaski County involving unapproved payroll items, missing credit card documentation, unapproved contracts, vehicle and cell phone documentation problems, lack of competitive bidding, and weak internal controls; members questioned the district’s practices and deferred the report to June while requesting district representatives appear. The committee also reviewed a statewide report on six regional solid waste management districts, with findings in Pulaski, Faulkner, and Benton counties and no findings in three others; that report was likewise deferred for Pulaski County questions. The meeting ended after a lengthy discussion with Cross County Rural Water System about overdue audit posting, water quality problems, grant-funded improvements, board notice practices, and the broader challenges facing rural water systems, after which the committee filed the report and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• On June 6th of last year, when ICE began its aggressive attacks on Californians, CARECEN's Day Labor
• I'm Senior Staff Counsel for the Committee on Revision of the Penal Code.
• the Penal Code.
• There is no longer any evidence code provision whatsoever.
• That's Welfare and Institutions Code Section 709A, subdivision 7.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 248 by Representative Faulkner regarding the Alabama Business and Nonprofit Entities Code
• Code of Alabama providing for financial statements for stockholders and members, respectively.
• <01:45:49.679> to Washington to Nevada to Texas to Washington to Nevada to Texas to everywhere
• Then it adds another code section, and that additional code section establishes a private cause of action
• Then it adds another code section, and that additional code section establishes a private cause of action

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The Alabama Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a roll call establishing a quorum. Senators then adopted the prior day’s journal and excused absent members. A lengthy point of personal privilege followed, in which Senator Smith criticized the prior day’s handling of the special order calendar and argued that minority-party senators were denied the chance to speak, while Senator Coleman said Senate Bill 318 had been removed from the calendar and tied that to Child Abuse Prevention Month; she also noted Senate Bill 43, which would provide civil recourse for child sex assault survivors, had not advanced. The presiding officer also recognized guests in the gallery, including staff from the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The Senate then received multiple committee reports, largely on a unanimous or near-unanimous basis. Finance and Taxation Education reported favorably on House Bills 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 565, 517, and 98, and Senate Bill 380, with some substitutes or amendments; Finance and Taxation General Fund reported Senate Bill 378 favorably; County and Municipal Government reported House Bills 568, 499, and 433; Education Policy reported House Bills 8 and 380; Banking and Insurance reported House Bill 545; Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development reported House Bill 586 with two nays; Healthcare reported House Bills 533 and 605; Tourism and Marketing reported House Bills 513 and 626 and Senate Bill 357; and local legislation committees reported several Mobile County and Madison County bills, including Senate Bill 379 relating to Madison County and various House bills, all advancing to the next legislative day. In motions and resolutions, the Senate agreed to allow committee reports to be received at any time during the day. Several resolutions were introduced and referred to the Rules Committee, including Senate Joint Resolution 100 honoring Presley Skelton, SJR 101 commending Auburn University’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, SJR 102 establishing the Alabama Forest Products Retention and Pulp and Paper Mill Stability Study Commission, SJR 103 mourning Norman Wendell Arnold, and SJR 104 designating Alabama as the river state. The chamber also suspended the rules to take up Senate Joint Resolution 105, commending Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth for his service; the resolution included a lengthy recitation of his background and accomplishments and was read for immediate consideration with all senators added as sponsors.

Transcript Highlights:

• The statutory amendment would touch the Code of Criminal Procedure article that deals with waiver of
• So that is the nature of the change we would be making in the Code of Criminal Procedure and the reason
• amendment clarifies that the holding period in the bill runs concurrently with the time period in Code
• Which is why I think we have Code of Criminal Procedure Article 313.
• LaBore. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, committee. Senator, do you want to go ahead with SB 58?

Summary: The Criminal Justice Committee met on May 6, 2026, and considered a series of juvenile justice, criminal procedure, public corruption, domestic violence, sentencing, and victim-notification measures. Early in the meeting, SB 396 was amended and reported favorably to allow children in Office of Juvenile Justice custody to attend review hearings by secure video conference, with OJJ staff also participating virtually. SB 181 was amended and reported favorably to create a limited raffle license for nonprofit health care organizations within a single health system. SB 81, a bill requiring prosecutorial consent before a defendant may waive a jury trial in a non-capital felony case, drew extensive debate; supporters said it would align Louisiana with federal practice and other states, while opponents argued it would give the state more power and reduce defendants’ control over their own trial rights. After testimony from district attorneys, defense lawyers, and advocacy groups, the committee reported SB 81 favorably by a 7-3 vote. The committee then took up SB 207, which extends the prescriptive period for prosecuting certain corruption offenses committed by elected officials and public employees to 10 years after they leave office. Supporters said it would help prevent officials from using their influence to avoid prosecution; opponents raised concerns about optics and scope. The bill was reported favorably by an 8-3 vote. SB 92, requiring district attorneys to submit sexual assault kits to the statewide tracking system, was also reported favorably without objection. SB 156, which increases the maximum penalty for negligent homicide and includes special treatment for cases involving children under 13, was reported favorably after sponsors said they would make a technical fix before floor debate. SB 58, imposing a mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated flight from a law enforcement officer and dedicating fine revenue to pursuit training and technology, was reported favorably after supporters cited fatal high-speed pursuits and law enforcement backing. Later, the committee approved SB 97, the constitutional amendment companion to SB 81, after similar testimony for and against the proposal; it was reported favorably by a 7-3 vote. SB 141, moving the Integrated Criminal Justice Information System Policy Board’s functions to the Louisiana Supreme Court, was reported favorably without objection. SB 410, increasing penalties for accessories after the fact to sex offenses, was also reported favorably. The committee then considered HB 251, which requires notice to victims or their families in resentencing proceedings; after amendments and testimony about post-conviction procedure and possible unintended consequences, it was reported favorably as amended. Finally, the committee heard HCR 50, a resolution calling for reports on opioid abatement and treatment programs in correctional facilities and guidance on available funding; the sponsor described it as a study effort to improve access to treatment and recovery, and the resolution was moved favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Juvenile, the juvenile Criminal Code, um, needs to be, needs to be updated.
• I think we've all agreed, um, that something needs to be done regarding the juvenile code, especially
• We know that we're outnumbered, the ones that think we do need to change the children's code.
• Um, how do we fix the problem and exactly what do you think we can do with that children's code that
• And so I'd ask for you to send, send very specifics of what a reform of that code looks like to us in

Transcript Highlights:

• Change in discussion with some representatives from labor to try to make sure that everybody's on board
• Um he has a Code Co-ops and Munis.
• NEC for consideration in their next code NEC for consideration in their next code review.<00:48:
• This is too soon with it, and we should let our code and board experts be able to work this over.
• This is too soon with it, and we should let our code and board experts be able to work this over.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:52:27.960> Our<00:52:28.120> code<00:52:28.360> of<00:52:28.440> conduct
• Our code of conduct? Nothing. is old. Our code of conduct? Nothing.
• it reflects the work of um that I've been doing with Admin, with MMB, uh, of it with Department of Labor
• MMB, uh of it with Department of Labor MMB, uh of it with Department of Labor and<01:05:03.160><
• <01:06:35.480> requirements<01:06:36.040> for laws, tax and labor requirements for

Bills: HF3643, HF4470, HF4462, HF4366, HF4172, HF3629, HF4356, HF3093

Keywords: Melissa Hortman, Mark Hortman, memorial park, state park, working group, Minnesota Historical Society, Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board, Saint Paul, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Administration, Legislative Coordinating Commission, general fund appropriation, park planning, interpretive services, public engagement, state memorial, land use, natural resources, commemorative legislation, HF4470

Transcript Highlights:

• the public, and so if you would help me by speaking in plain English, uh, not legalese, uh, or in code
• the public, and so if you would help me by speaking in plain English, uh, not legalese, uh, or in code
• By speaking in plain English, uh, not legalese, uh, or in code, uh, that would be great.
• <02:42:58.520> boy imprisonment in the penal code boy imprisonment in the penal code boy revised
• They’re moving to Vegas, Arizona, Texas, wherever. Half of our money goes out to Vegas anyway.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee met on February 12 at 2 p.m. and heard several measures related to corrections, re-entry, law enforcement, retirement benefits, and gun violence prevention. On HB 10002, which would extend the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission coordinator’s term and clarify unannounced inspection authority, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said it had no objection to the term length or to 24/7 unannounced access. The commission’s chair, Commissioner Mark Patterson, asked for a longer term, saying the commission needs more time and stability to manage reform efforts after years without staff during COVID. Community Alliance on Prisons and Carolyn Eaton also supported a longer term, with both suggesting six years would better insulate the position from politics. The chair noted he had asked Chair Bot for background on the prior committee’s changes and said that could be discussed during decision-making. The committee then heard HB 67, which would require DCR to help inmates obtain civil identification documents such as IDs, birth certificates, and Social Security cards as soon as practicable, including for people in furlough or community placement programs. DCR said it supported the bill and described ongoing work with the city and county on ID machines and with agencies on certificates and Social Security cards. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Oversight Commission, Community Alliance on Prisons, and the Office of Public Defense all supported the measure, emphasizing that identification is essential for housing, employment, and successful re-entry and noting the disproportionate impact of incarceration on Native Hawaiians. On HB 1183, which would classify certain law enforcement administrators and Department of Law Enforcement employees as Class A members for retirement purposes, the Department of Human Resources Development, the Employees’ Retirement System, and the Department of Law Enforcement all supported the bill. DHRD said it would help recruitment and retention, ERS said it had technical amendments to suggest, and DLE said the change would help with succession planning and allow the governor to appoint the most qualified leader. The committee also heard HB 1045, an emergency appropriation bill to cover payroll fringe benefits for Department of Law Enforcement personnel after salary funding had been shifted to other departments; Budget and Finance and DLE explained the need for the supplemental funding, and no opposition was noted. Finally, the committee took up HB 664, which would create an Office of Gun Violence Prevention, a grant program, a resource bank, and a special fund. The Attorney General recommended adding standards for grant awards and warned of overlap with the existing Gun Violence and Violent Crimes Commission, suggesting consolidation and repeal of the older commission to avoid duplication. Supporters included the Brady Campaign, Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action Hawaii, a physician, and an Army veteran, who argued the office would centralize data, coordinate prevention efforts, and help secure outside funding. Testimony was mixed, with the chair noting 37 supporters, nine opponents, and three commenters, but no vote was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Their electric service may not be up to code or They need some work on that.
• just going to the meter and everything Behind the meter but let's make sure everything else meets code
• So we have a portion of this that comes out of the tax code, which is where our 250,000 cap lives, and
• As you see, the complexity of the trail from Colorado down to Texas.
• It's more a passive, less labor-intensive way to collect data on migratory birds.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:04:00.040> like<00:04:00.440> would Labor, like would Labor, like would this<00:04
• previously deleted regarding labor previously deleted regarding labor dispute<00:20:48.440> for
• during a labor dispute. during a labor dispute. Okay. Okay. Okay.
• Department of Labor, administratively to run the program.
• So director's with a tight labor market.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2455, HD2, relating to employment practices. Testimony was limited, with support from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women and UPW; the committee noted nine support, zero opposition, and zero comments. No vote was taken on this bill during the portion provided. The committee then took up House Bill 2165, HD2, relating to the Hawaii Employment Security Law. DLIR supported the measure but requested an amendment moving language in Section 2 from subsection A to subsection C to preserve the legal structure. Members questioned DLIR about a January 8 U.S. Department of Labor letter and whether the bill would keep Hawaii in conformity with federal unemployment insurance requirements. DLIR said the federal guidance requires the state to remove the carve-out for labor-dispute claimants, though unions with hiring halls and members in good standing could still be exempt from work-search requirements under an authorized list. UNITE HERE Local 5 opposed the bill and said the current law already gives the department discretion to exempt striking workers. The committee recessed the bill before any final action was taken in the portion shown. In the joint hearing with Commerce and Consumer Protection, the committees heard House Bill 1509, HD2, relating to workers’ compensation. DLIR supported the bill, DHER offered comments and requested an amendment, UPW supported it, and one Zoom testifier described personal experience with delayed care and urged faster decisions. After testimony, the committees voted to pass the bill with amendments. The adopted amendments restored the 7-day treatment-plan deadline from 10 days, changed the effective date to January 1, 2077, and struck the proposed $500 fine for employers who fail to respond within 10 days. Back in the Labor and Technology agenda, the committee heard House Bill 1515, HD2, also relating to workers’ compensation, with testimony noting seven in support, one in opposition, and one comment, but no action was taken in the excerpt. The committee also heard House Bill 1514, HD2, relating to workers’ compensation vocational rehabilitation plans. A Zoom testifier opposed the bill, arguing the 120-day timeline was unrealistic for complex cases. DLIR said the bill would give the director discretion to extend the vocational rehabilitation plan timeline beyond 120 days with no cap on extensions, and the committee noted five support, four opposition, and zero comments. Finally, the committee began House Bill 2458, HD3, relating to surveillance pricing. OCP said it stood on written testimony, while supporters argued the bill would prevent corporations from using personal data to set prices, especially for groceries. Retail and grocery interests opposed the measure, saying it was too broad and could restrict loyalty programs, promotions, and discounts; one witness asked that a loyalty-program exemption be restored.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, it is 8:16, and we are calling the Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy
• <00:36:21.800> and with the Department of Labor and with the Department of Labor and Industry
• and things go sideways that vital code and things go sideways that they've<01:02:42.839> got<
• <01:25:10.960> groups and I know that many of the labor groups and I know that many of the
• labor groups in<01:25:11.520> other<01:25:11.880> areas<01:25:12.280> are<01:25

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• These are for all the non-energy codes.
• Code.
• The rest of the package in the building code, the fire code, the mechanical code, the plumbing code,
• So things like energy code.
• So things like energy code.

Summary: The committee held a work session on local government issues, beginning with an update from the State Building Code Council on four legislatively mandated code amendments now in CR-102 rulemaking: temporary emergency shelters, reduced minimum dwelling unit size, multiplex housing up to three stories and six units, and single-exit apartment buildings up to six stories. Council staff also described a separate embodied-carbon appendix proposal that remains under public review, with testimony both supporting and opposing it. Members asked about the rationale for some of the code limits, including the restriction on connecting multiplex buildings. The committee then heard a panel on annexations from MRSC, Pierce County, and the Association of Washington Cities. Witnesses reviewed annexation methods, including petition, election, and interlocal agreement approaches, and said larger annexations are increasingly using interlocal agreements because they can address infrastructure, revenue sharing, and public process concerns. They described barriers such as inconsistent local standards, the cost of infrastructure, referendum risk, census requirements, and the difficulty of persuading residents and local officials to support annexation. Members asked about the five-year restriction on residential zoning changes in one annexation method and whether a hearing examiner could reduce political pressure on local decision-makers. A second panel discussed subdivision reform. The Master Builders Association urged raising the short-plat threshold within urban growth areas to 30 lots as a simpler first step, citing permitting delays and added housing costs. The City of Spokane described implementation problems with recent housing laws, including uncertainty about how to review plats under HB 1110, lot-splitting administration, and added notice requirements for unit lot subdivisions. AWC said there was broad agreement that subdivision decisions should be more administrative, but public hearings remained a point of disagreement. The committee also heard from FutureWise, the Washington State Association of Counties, and Lewis County on county development regulation and enforcement, with witnesses emphasizing underfunded code enforcement, inconsistent standards between counties and cities, and the need for better coordination, incentives, and possibly stronger enforcement tools. No votes were taken; the chair said the committee would continue working on possible solutions in future sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's why we call between Memorial Day and Labor Day the 100 deadliest days on Minnesota roads, because
• Day, the 100 deadliest days on and Labor Day, the 100 deadliest days on Minnesota<01:14:31.440> roads
• Maryland and Texas have had this law on the books for quite some time.
• Uh Maryland and Texas have year olds.
• Uh Maryland and Texas have had<01:47:20.960> this<01:47:21.199> law<01:47:21.360> on

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the behavioral health area of our administration noticed or realized that in our system we were not coding
• In our system, we need to code those appropriately in order to determine what the correct state or federal
• system<00:04:47.280> we<00:04:47.560> need<00:04:47.840> to<00:04:48.199> code
• <00:04:48.600> those system we need to code those system we need to code those appropriately
• oig there's a dolly Department of Labor oig there's a dolly Department of Labor and<01:46:05.760

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :59.360> Supreme<00:27:59.679> Court, Lopez case before the Supreme Court uses black codes
• and/or codes from—oh. >> That's it.
• to Senate Bill 3140, which is relating to the state fire council and on behalf of the Department of Labor
• <00:41:25.040> and<00:41:25.280> Industrial<00:41:25.839> Relations, of Labor
• and Industrial Relations, of Labor and Industrial Relations, Director<00:41:27.280> Boutai.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 3040, which would create an Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Supporters, including Moms Demand Action and a crime-victim advocate, argued the office would improve data collection, research, and coordination to help reduce gun violence. Opponents, including several gun-rights advocates, said the proposal was duplicative, lacked oversight, and would exclude the firearms community. The chair noted 41 testimonies in support and 77 in opposition, but no vote was taken on the bill in the portion provided. The committee then moved through a series of decision-making items and adopted the chair’s recommendations on several measures. SB 17 on wildfire mitigation passed with amendments from multiple agencies and a report date shifted to the 2028 session. SB 2730 on criminal justice reform passed with a defective effective date amendment, SB 2749 on sentencing passed with a defective effective date, SB 2688 on compassionate release passed with amendments narrowing eligibility and adding notification and funding language, and SB 2798 on law enforcement passed with a defective effective date to make the agricultural enforcement pilot program permanent. SB 2645, a short-form bill, was amended to insert substantive provisions and recommitted to the committee. SB 2383, which would have provided a $15,000 retention bonus for sworn law enforcement officers, was reconsidered and held in committee because it was identified as a duplicate. The committee also passed SB 2575, relating to firearms, with amendments adopting a proposed SD1 that would establish minimum mandatory prison terms for certain class A firearm felonies and add clarifying language. SB 2720, which would create a Hawaii firearm injury restitution fund funded by firearm manufacturer licenses, also passed with amendments clarifying the fund’s scope and eligible injuries. Later, the committee began hearing SB 3107 on parole eligibility. The Office of the Public Defender and the Hawaii Paroling Authority supported language allowing the parole board to waive certain program requirements, while the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission opposed the bill, warning it could keep people incarcerated longer if program access remains limited. The Department of Corrections said it is working on classification changes and a pilot project to move inmates through the system faster.

Transcript Highlights:

• It directs the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD) to review applications for grant
• The Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD) would review applications for grant funds to
• determine their compliance with the labor-related requirements of the bill, rather than directly requiring
• The costs for labor and Those are two separate things, right?
• The costs for labor and workers is different. This is liability.

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Minute Texas base funding. Minute Texas base funding. >> Okay. >> Okay.
• librarians, and we shouldn't have access to knowledge and quality information decided by your zip code
• decided<00:30:04.880> by<00:30:05.039> your<00:30:05.200> zip<00:30:05.440> code
• <00:30:06.320> in<00:30:06.399> a<00:30:06.559> state decided by your zip code
• Not in a state decided by your zip code. Not in a state like<00:30:06.880> Minnesota.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• are also equally important to this incentive. 2397 updates a long-standing provision in the Century Code
• We have four assets: Williston Basin, Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma, Permian Basin in Texas, and then Wyoming
• about an amendment like this that is certainly germane because it's all in the same area of Century Code

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Finance and Tax Committee met to consider Senate Bill 2397 and a proposed amendment creating a development incentive well program for North Dakota oil and gas production. Representative Dockter explained the amendment as a way to encourage exploratory and innovative drilling in light of the state’s financial outlook and the growing share of stripper wells. Department of Mineral Resources Director Nathan Anderson and DMR geologist Timothy Nashim presented background on the Bakken and Three Forks formations, with Nashim describing research showing that Middle Three Forks second-bench development can add reserves in some areas but not others, and that roughly 600 additional wells in the strongest area could yield about 250 million barrels of oil. Continental Resources representatives William Houser and John Argo supported the amendment. They said the bill would give a temporary oil extraction tax exemption for certified development incentive wells, limited to 36 months or 300,000 barrels, and would also update tax treatment for gas used in enhanced oil recovery and on-site electric generation. They argued the measure would encourage new technology and testing in existing spacing units, complementing House Bill 1483, which they said focused on geographic expansion into non-Bakken and non-Three Forks areas. Argo said Continental still invests heavily in North Dakota but is shifting rigs elsewhere because of economics, and he urged incentives to spur exploration and preserve the basin’s long-term future. North Dakota Petroleum Council executive director Ron Ness also supported the concept, calling it a targeted, low-risk way to encourage innovation and future barrels. Committee members asked about royalty treatment, the difference from House Bill 1483, pressure maintenance, and how the program would be administered. DMR said the amendment should clarify that the operator bears the burden of proving a well qualifies and that only one incentive well per stratigraphic interval should be certified. No vote was taken; the committee paused to work on revised language and indicated the bill would likely need further adjustment, possibly in conference committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• I hear a code blue being called on the intercom. Something told me it's my father. And it was.
• Another doctor would come into the room with the chaplain and tell me that your father coded and he's
• Our neighbors to the north in Georgia and Alabama, Texas, New York, Connecticut—all of those states—the

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee heard three bills. SB 514, by Senator Harrell, clarified that medical quality review committees used by managing entities are treated like other medical review committees for purposes of civil liability and public records protections. The committee adopted a Harrell amendment removing the word “malpractice” from the title, heard support from the Florida Hospital Association, Florida Association of Managing Entities, and Florida Smart Justice Alliance, and then voted 11-0 to report the bill favorably. The committee then took up SB 734, by Senator Yarborough, which would repeal the current wrongful death exception that bars certain parents and adult children from recovering non-economic damages in medical negligence cases. The bill drew extensive testimony from families describing deaths they said were caused by medical negligence and from supporters including AARP and the Florida Justice Association, while opponents from the health care, insurance, and business sectors argued it would raise malpractice premiums, increase litigation, worsen physician shortages, and reduce access to care. After debate, the committee voted 9-2 to report the bill favorably. Finally, SB 538, by Senator Bradley, was presented as the state courts legislative package. It updates court operations by clarifying duty judge requirements, removing a location limit on duty hearings, repealing a cap on arbitrator compensation in court-ordered non-binding arbitration, and allowing alternative judicial authentication of oaths and acknowledgments when a court seal is unavailable. The bill received supportive waiver forms from the Florida Bar ADR section and several judges, and was reported favorably on an 11-0 vote. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• or, you know, look for code bugs or comments, or the ability to take large volumes of documents and
• <00:51:22.040> and into it right like that big code and into it right like that big code and
• But we are also seeing growth, and I think some of that also has to do with the current labor market
• They report to the Campaign Finance Board, and they’re subject to the code of judicial conduct.
• Relations as well as the pensions Labor Relations as well as the pensions Bill<01:53:33.119> come

Keywords: 1187, senate, all