Transcript Highlights:

• Thirdly, this amendment provides for the standardization of uniform traffic citations and distributions
• Thirdly, this amendment provides for the standardization of uniform traffic citations, distributions
• voter citizenship or eligibility are based on official government records, not private companies or commercial
• also creates a five-year statute of limitations for prosecution of a felony violation of the election code
• That would have a major impact on individuals' decisions to invest in commercial roofs, solar systems

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for being here with your beautiful uniforms on. Thank you. ALBANY.
• THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH YOUR BEAUTIFUL UNIFORMS ON. THANK YOU.
• Calendar 589, Senate Print 561A, Senator Krueger, an act to amend the Administrative Code of the City

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with routine proceedings, approved the prior day’s journal, and then took up a budget extender. Senator Serrano’s appropriation bill was recalled from the Assembly, reconsidered, amended, and sent through Rules to the floor. During debate, senators discussed the ongoing delay in finalizing the state budget, the 13th extender, school aid payments, the Yonkers school district payment, and unresolved issues such as Tier 6 retirement changes and other budget policy items. The extender was passed 57-2 after debate, with senators pressing for more transparency about the budget negotiations and the majority responding that those issues were not germane to the extender. The chamber then recognized several resolutions and guests. Senators spoke in support of Resolution 1948 honoring New York State 4-H and its Capital Days participants, Resolution 2054 commemorating Italian American Day, and Resolution 1620 mourning Denis Michael Troy of Rockland County. The Italian American Day resolution drew extensive remarks from many senators about family histories, immigration, cultural contributions, scholarships, and community traditions, and the Senate welcomed honored guests from the Italian American community. The Rosalyn Yalow Charter School fencing team was also introduced, along with the family of Denis Troy. The Senate then moved through a long calendar of bills, passing measures on public service, city administrative code, municipal law, correction law, criminal procedure, real property tax, education, social services, public health, executive law, parks, judiciary, and alcoholic beverage control, among others. Several members explained votes on bills related to ratepayer protection, hip-hop lyrics in criminal cases, sovereign nations and gaming compacts, and the Traveling with Dignity Act requiring adult changing stations in public facilities. Most bills passed with broad support, though some drew notable negative votes. The Senate completed the calendar and adjourned until Tuesday, May 19, at 3:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Senate Bill 2728, the Mississippi Chance for Youth Court Act of 2026, an act to provide uniform
• sections. >> Senate Bill 2728, the Mississippi Chance for Youth Court Act of 2026, an act to provide uniform
• please read the title. >> Senate Bill 2523, state institutions of higher learning, and bring forward code

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 13 February, 2026; 9:00 AM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You are meeting here today safe, peaceful, because men and women in uniform are risking their lives at
• What happened on January 6th to 140 of these men and women in uniform protecting this Capitol?
• foreign regulators, including… under the European Union's Digital Services Act, to impose alien speech codes

Committee: Senate Constitution Subcommittee

Keywords: censorship, First Amendment, social media, misinformation, free speech, government regulation, Big Tech, public discourse

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on the implications of government involvement in censorship, particularly regarding social media platforms and compliance with misinformation standards. senators and witnesses discussed growing concerns over the influence of large tech companies, like Facebook and Google, in shaping public discourse and suppressing dissenting views. A significant part of the meeting included testimonies from various experts emphasizing the dangers of the 'censorship industrial complex'—a term used to describe the collaborative efforts between government entities and private organizations to control information flow. This collaboration is viewed as a violation of First Amendment rights, with calls for urgent legislative action to restore free speech protections.

Transcript Highlights:

• Idaho Code, to define podiatry.
• Amending Chapter 15, Title 49, out of code by the addition of new section 49505 Idaho Code to establish
• , to revise a code reference; amending Section 67-6533, Idaho Code, to revise a reference; and declaring
• 33-2230, Idaho Code, relating to the industry partner fund; repealing Section 33-305, Idaho Code, relating
• Code that is mentioned in the bill, which is Title 8, United States Code, 1324a, which explicitly says

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• water rights proceedings writ large, and it essentially clarifies that the water board, written in code
• And so the private sector came and commercialized all these.
• The proposal would amend the Public Resources Code and provide for an override of the California Code
• These sweeps are being coded as efficiencies.
• These sweeps are being coded as efficiencies.

Summary: The hearing opened with budget framing from the chair and the LAO, who said the May Revision addresses roughly a $14 billion budget problem and that the environment and transportation subcommittee’s proposals account for about $1.9 billion of the solution. The LAO urged members to focus on solutions that do not worsen out-year deficits, to preserve reserves, and to defer major policy changes that are not necessary to pass the budget, including the newly introduced water-related trailer bills. Members also raised concern about a late-dropped Olympic-related trailer bill, which the LAO likewise suggested should be deferred for fuller review. The first major item was the Delta Conveyance Project and related water quality control plan trailer bills. The administration argued the proposals would streamline permitting, water rights proceedings, judicial review, and land acquisition, and would clarify DWR’s bond authority for the project. DWR said the project is needed to protect water supply reliability against drought, earthquakes, sea level rise, and other climate-related disruptions, and that the tunnel would help move water when conditions are wet and safer for the environment. Committee members from both parties questioned the timing, the use of budget trailer bills for major policy changes, the scope of the CEQA and water-rights changes, the lack of a bond cap, cost growth, and eminent domain protections. The LAO recommended deferring both water trailer bills without prejudice. Public comment was sharply divided, with labor, water agencies, and some business groups supporting the project as climate adaptation and reliability infrastructure, while environmental, tribal, fishing, county, and community groups opposed it as an attempt to bypass public process and weaken protections. The committee then briefly heard the DMV’s Digital Experience Platform fee trailer bill, which would reinstate a $1 system improvement fee to help fund the vehicle-registration phase of the project. DMV said the fee would raise about $7 million annually and offset roughly $59 million to $60 million of project costs, while the LAO noted it would help but would not solve the Motor Vehicle Account’s broader structural gap. The hearing then moved to California High-Speed Rail, where the new CEO presented an updated plan and said the project remains a major climate and infrastructure investment. He reported a revised Merced-to-Bakersfield cost range of $34.9 billion to $38.5 billion, said the agency is trying to reduce risk through direct procurement of materials, and argued that stable annual funding is needed to avoid higher costs from delays.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> communicate with our medically coded communicate with our medically coded customers<00:55:24.319
• </c> medical information, medically coded medical information, medically coded customer<01:01:05.520>
• </c><01:04:04.720><c> can</c><01:04:05.119><c> certainly</c> coded customer, um, they can certainly coded
• </c><05:12:25.040><c> 15518</c> described under code 15518 described under code 15518 210<05:12:27.680
• </c> facility um relies on the NAKES code. facility um relies on the NAKES code.

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill would exempt commercial aggregates, asphalt, and concrete materials that contain 0.25% or less
• The bill would exempt commercial aggregates, asphalt, and concrete materials that contain 0.25% or less
• "It delays the Department of Ecology's authority to enforce any residential, commercial, or industrial
• a new per se violation of the Consumer Protection Act for the restrictions or requirements that commercial
• This bill exempts specified commercial aggregates like asphalt and concrete materials from restrictions

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills related to energy, environmental regulation, and utility policy. House Bill 2436, on escort tug horsepower requirements for oil tankers, was described as a technical cleanup measure and passed unanimously. House Bill 2605, which exempts low-level naturally occurring fibrous silicate materials in aggregates, asphalt, and concrete from certain asbestos-related labeling, use, and inspection restrictions, also passed unanimously. House Bill 2301, expanding the paint stewardship program to additional paint products and adjusting collection standards, passed 19-1 after members noted it was industry-driven and popular with constituents. The committee also considered House Bill 2296 on meter-mounted devices and portable solar generation devices. The portable solar section had been removed in the substitute, leaving meter-mounted device provisions; two amendments were offered, one making utility cost recovery mandatory and another restoring local government authority to prohibit installations, but both failed. The substitute bill then passed 14-7. House Bill 2496, requiring government-to-government consultation with tribes during site certification reviews and exempting those consultations from the Open Meetings Act when no deliberation occurs, passed 15-6 amid comments supporting tribal consultation but raising concerns about public meetings and process details. House Bill 2212 on microfiber filtration requirements for washing machines was briefed with a proposed substitute and amendments, but no action was taken on it during the meeting. House Bill 2515, addressing emerging large energy use facilities such as data centers and cryptocurrency facilities, drew the most debate over fees, taxation, energy use, water impacts, and economic development; despite concerns from some members that it was not ready or could discourage investment, the substitute passed 11-10. The committee then adjourned after reporting out the bills noted above with due pass recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we've done a good job with that and implementing the new codes.
• it's also the procedural steps that often our code has to align with.
• How do we back it up enough to make sure that we're compliant and making the legacy code or the new codes
• That makes it very tough when an application will Different development codes.
• Over two dozen cities in the state have already adopted design departures in their codes.

Summary: The Senate Local Government Committee held a work session to review implementation of recent housing, planning, and climate-related laws. Department of Commerce staff outlined the 2023 climate planning requirements under the Growth Management Act, including the climate resiliency sub-element for all jurisdictions and greenhouse gas reduction requirements for larger ones. They described Commerce’s guidance, the use of the University of Washington’s Resilient Washington tool and FEMA hazard mitigation resources, attention to overburdened communities through the Department of Health’s Environmental Health Disparities Map, and the climate policy explorer. Members asked about specific climate impacts, flood mapping, evacuation language access, and how environmental justice and local stakeholder input are incorporated. Commerce also said climate planning grants are being drawn down from Climate Commitment Act funding and should be sufficient through the 2029 deadline for remaining Puget Sound jurisdictions. Local government witnesses described their comprehensive plan updates and implementation challenges. Pierce County said its adopted plan was a major multi-year effort that retracted some urban growth area acreage, concentrated growth near transit, expanded middle housing and streamlined permitting, and created capacity for far more housing than its 32,000-unit growth target. County staff emphasized the difficulty of balancing rural protection, urban growth, transportation constraints, climate goals, and limited transit funding, and asked for more technical assistance. Redmond said its update leveraged light rail investments, added transit-oriented development, middle housing, planned actions, and climate resilience policies, but also required costly mid-course corrections from changing state laws and agency guidance. Redmond urged more regulatory stability, clearer statutes, and streamlined certification and accountability processes. Snohomish County said it is now in early implementation, focusing on translating adopted policy into regulations, aligning with new state housing and parking laws, and coordinating across departments and with cities; it stressed the need for clearer comp plan language, realistic timelines, and more staffing and coordination support. The committee also heard from the Washington chapter of the American Planning Association about inconsistencies in recent planning laws. APA identified three issues: the use of the undefined term “guidelines” in the design review statute, the use of “variance” in a middle housing/design review context where APA said “departure” would better fit the intended flexibility, and the lack of a cross-reference or definition for “administrative design review” in the subdivision statute. APA said these ambiguities can create confusion and delay in permit processing and offered to work with the legislature on technical fixes. Senators asked whether local codes already use “departure” and whether the proposed changes would conflict with current law; APA responded that many cities already use departure provisions and that the goal is to align the RCW with existing planning practice. The meeting ended without any votes or formal action.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:09:51.600><c> reals</c> some information from commercial reals some information from commercial
• Also, as she mentioned, our conduct is guided by the Code of Professional Conduct, which is provided
• </c><02:44:49.520><c> of</c> conduct is guided by the code of conduct is guided by the code of professional
• code States the<02:45:02.600><c> American</c><02:45:03.000><c> deaf</c><02:45:03.479><c> Community</
• However, our code of conduct is not made of rules but of guidelines—guidelines that ask, for example,

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee first took up House Bill 702, which would change how extra or special duty pay for retired police officers is treated for retirement and work-limit purposes. Supporters argued the bill would let retirees work more special-duty hours, helping municipalities fill traffic-detail and similar assignments without added state cost, and said it would not prohibit retirees from working but would simply stop those hours from counting toward the return-to-work threshold. Opponents argued the change would be inconsistent with the retirement system’s 2011 reforms, could increase pension liabilities, and would treat the same compensation differently for active employees and retirees. Members also discussed whether the bill would affect current and future retirees, the role of municipalities, and whether the policy amounted to “policing for profit.” The subcommittee ultimately voted 3-2 to recommend inexpedient to legislate (ITL) on HB 702, sending it to the full committee with that recommendation. The committee then discussed House Bill 581, which would create a Group Three retirement plan for new state employees hired after the bill’s effective date. The chair outlined a housekeeping amendment to delay implementation, moving the effective date to January 1, 2026, and noted a sponsor amendment addressing health insurance group inclusion and medical and surgical benefits so those benefits would not be put at risk for the new group. Testimony and discussion focused on the shift from defined benefit to defined contribution, with supporters citing Michigan examples and arguing the bill would help recruit and retain employees while giving them more flexibility. Opponents said the change could weaken retirement security and increase unfunded liability, though supporters responded that the bill still requires employer contributions toward accrued liability and is intended to keep the state on track to pay off its unfunded liability by 2039. The transcript ends with continued discussion of the bill and no final vote shown on HB 581.

Transcript Highlights:

• The question I have is in the medical coding, how is this going to be coded and how is this going to
• There's got to be some sort of medical coding. How much is it going to cost?
• All of it has a billing code.
• All these screenings cost: there's going to be a billing code associated with it.
• And it doesn't add to the quality of care; it simply adds to the billable codes on your bill.

Bills: HB2894 , HB3418 , HB3415 , HB3413 , HB3414 , HB3416 , HB3417 , HB3419 , HB3420 , HB1739 , HB1752 , HB1979 , HB2941 , HB2992 , HB3075 , HB3086 , HB3177 , HB3269 , HB3278 , HB3279 , HB3497 , HB3644 , HB4432 , HB3720 , HB3849 , HB3882 , HB3919 , HB3941 , HB4118 , HB4141 , HB4268 , HB4342 , HB4428 , HB4429 , HB4434

Keywords: HB2894, Oklahoma Rural Jobs Act, rural jobs, rural investment, tax credit, capital investment tax credit, state tax credits, economic development, rural fund, rural investor, qualified investment, eligible business, Department of Commerce, rural business, investment certification, tax liability, credit cap, workforce development, small business finance, rural development

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair: Representative, you're recognized to present your Amendment bar code 185837.
• And just to be clear, it's bar code 399125. Chair Robinson: Any questions on the amendment?
• Representative Abbott, you're recognized to explain that Amendment, bar code 453787.
• cameras by code enforcement officers.
• Clerk: Andrew Khalil, Florida Association of Code Enforcement waives in support.

Transcript Highlights:

• Licensed interior designers work in hospitals, schools Government and commercial large commercial buildings
• So, these Licensees ensure that these projects are safe, code-compliant, and read.
• They've had over 1,000 commercial permits in Oklahoma City since 2022, and have had over 11,000 commercial
• Tulsa over 5,100 commercial permits, and that's just a portion of the jurisdictions throughout the United
• We have started implementing class surveys, which are now done using a QR code instead of paper. done

Committee: House Administrative Rules

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So if you have someone with a farm truck that is used for a commercial business, they would have to have
• a commercial account, and we charge the discounted rate every single time they go through the toll.
• And those amendments actually modified a different section of code that currently already specifies a
• This bill amends two sections in the traffic code related to the operation of a vehicle at or near the
• Mariah, is there anything in code that forces DOH to remove their construction signs when they're done

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Infrastructure Committee first returned to engrossed House Bill 4419, which would require the West Virginia Parkways Authority to hold public hearings and give notice before increasing tolls, rents, fees, or charges, and would allow legislative auditing of related revenues and sinking funds. The committee debated two amendments related to E-ZPass transponders: one from the Senator from Jefferson to clarify that the Parkway Authority would not be required to read every plate failed on a 4-4 tie, and one from the Senator from Wetzel to codify a restriction on transferring single-fee transponders between vehicles was rejected after discussion with counsel and the Parkways Authority about current policy, convenience for users, and possible effects on the bill. The committee then approved a motion to send HB 4419 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass, but first be referred to Finance, and a separate motion to send it to Finance passed. The committee also considered engrossed House Bill 4563, on which Senator Randolph moved for a second reference to Finance because of fiscal concerns. After discussion of the newly filed fiscal note and the bill’s potential revenue impact, that motion failed by a 4-5 division vote. The committee then voted to report HB 4563 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 4538, which increases fines and penalties for failing to obey traffic control instructions or speeding in construction and work zones, and also references penalties tied to distracted driving provisions. Counsel noted the bill’s possible overlap with existing vehicular homicide penalties and that it had no fiscal note. Jason Pizzitella of the Contractors Association testified in support, emphasizing work-zone safety and recent fatalities, while senators from Fayette, Randolph, and Jefferson also supported the bill and discussed the need to protect workers and drivers. The committee adopted a motion to report HB 4538 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill grants a commercial river outfitter immunity from claims for injury or death that arise out
• Data centers are a huge benefit to our state economically, commercially, and for our workforce.
• They have operational SMRs right now commercially. Russia is number two.
• They also have operational commercial SMRs right now.
• As commercially viable, there is one at the Idaho National Laboratory that's pretty far along.

Bills: HB2072 , HB2251 , HB2279 , HB2308 , HB2323 , HB2342 , HB2400 , HB2408 , HB2456 , HB2660 , HB2697 , HB2868 , HB2873 , HB2877 , HB2910 , HB2946 , HB2955 , HB2991 , HB4001 , HB4010

Committee: Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency

Keywords: Cesar Chavez, public holiday, state law, holiday repeal, Arizona Revised Statutes, midwifery, medication administration, healthcare, patient safety, advisory committee, licensed midwives, river trips, liability, outfitter, Grand Canyon, negligence, risk management, contractual waiver, dental practice, business registration

Transcript Highlights:

• Any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the House proceedings for political or commercial purposes
• Sir, pursuant to 10 United States Code 9455(a), I am pleased to appoint the Honorable Don Davis of North
• Sir, pursuant to 10 United States Code 9455(a), I am pleased to appoint the Honorable Don Davis of North
• Sir, pursuant to 10 United States Code 4355(a), I am pleased to appoint the Honorable Patrick Ryan of
• Sir, pursuant to 10 United States Code 8468(a), I am pleased to appoint the Honorable Sara Elfreth of

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:14:29.760><c> It's</c> charging under a surgical code? It's charging under a surgical code?
• </c> allowing people to use similar codes allowing people to use similar codes to<00:16:29.839><c> to
• However, the billing code is now switched to the 9,000 code. >> Yes, it is.
• However, the billing code is now switched to the 9,000 code.
• switched to the billing code is now switched to the 9,000<00:54:17.680><c> code.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Health Services heard Senate Bill 18, a bill described by the sponsor and podiatry witnesses as a modernization of Kentucky’s podiatry laws. The bill would recognize and regulate podiatric assistants, podiatric residents, and supervising podiatrists; allow podiatrists to supervise physician assistants in podiatry practices with approval from the relevant licensing boards; require new podiatrists licensed after January 1, 2027 to complete at least two years of residency; and extend disciplinary authority to the new categories. Witnesses said the measure would improve access to foot and ankle care, especially in rural areas, without expanding scope of practice. The Kentucky Medical Association was said to be neutral after working on the language with the sponsors. Committee members raised concerns about the meaning of “supervision,” whether it required direct or indirect oversight, and whether the bill could broaden billing or coding privileges. Dr. Roberts said supervision could mean direct supervision or indirect supervision, including being available by telephone, and noted the bill mirrors language used in allopathic PA supervision. He also said the bill would not change office staff billing roles and that podiatric assistants would not bill separately. Several senators said they supported moving the bill forward but remained concerned about workforce, cost, and scope creep. The committee adopted a committee substitute, then voted on the bill. The motion passed unanimously with favorable expression. After the vote, the committee moved on to a presentation on outpatient pediatric therapies, where providers described Medicaid reimbursement pressures, workforce turnover, and long waiting lists for children’s therapy services, but no action was taken on that presentation in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• is improvements in video compression, so we're working with OP Solutions on this versatile video coding
• ticking, and I will not read all this, but you can see that we have been active in helping to improve codes
• been 60 U.S. patents, 25 of those are licensed to private sector companies who are attempting to commercialize
• We will be opening the FSU Interdisciplinary Research and Commercialization Building in March.
• The commercialization of the knowledge helps individuals become successful entrepreneurs, successful

Committee: Senate Education Postsecondary

Summary: The Education Postsecondary Committee held its first meeting and focused on state university centers and institutes, with an overview from the Board of Governors on how the more than 500 centers and institutes across Florida’s public universities are categorized, overseen, and reported. The Board described three categories: state-level centers, legislatively established centers, and university-established centers. Members were told universities must maintain policies, notify the Board of changes, publish public inventories, and submit annual reports and compliance certifications. Senator Harrell asked about funding sources and whether underperforming centers are reviewed for elimination; the response was that funding varies by center and that universities decide whether to maintain or disband centers under their own policies, with annual reporting and audit findings shared with the Board. Four university presentations followed. Florida Atlantic University highlighted its Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology, describing research in marine-derived drug discovery, genomics, imaging, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and ocean sustainability, along with spin-off institutes and partnerships that have generated significant grant and contract support. FIU presented its Center of Excellence for Hurricane Damage Mitigation and Product Development, emphasizing the Wall of Wind facility, hurricane and water intrusion testing, code and product innovation, insurance modeling, and future expansion toward higher wind speeds and flood simulation. Florida State University’s High-Performance Materials Institute described work in advanced materials, aerospace composites, sensors, nanocomposites, and AI-enabled materials development, along with patents, industry partnerships, and new facilities tied to economic development. The University of Florida’s Lastinger Center for Learning outlined its work on teacher professional learning, literacy, New Worlds Reading, tutoring, and mathematics supports, including microcredentials, statewide book distribution, and early results showing improved reading confidence and growth. Members generally praised the centers for their research, commercialization, workforce development, and education impacts. Senator Jones and Senator Harrell commended the Lastinger Center’s literacy work and the broader return on investment from these programs, while Senator Berman noted the value of the synergies across institutions. The chair emphasized that future funding requests should clearly show measurable success, commercialization, and statewide impact. The committee then adjourned without any formal votes on legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Matthew Hargove, we represent commercial real estate, including groups at NAOP, BOMA California, and
• Matthew Hargove, we represent commercial real estate, including groups at NAOP, Boma, California, and
• that the measure adds substantial complexity and its need for enforcement and verification to a tax code
• If you are unlucky and have your commercial insurance dropped, you're in the FAIR Plan, which can be
• street with the worst property, with all the stuff overgrown, and no matter how many times you call code

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation met under suspense-file procedures, with the chair explaining limits on testimony, position letters, and that bills with fiscal impacts of $150,000 or more would generally be sent to suspense rather than voted on immediately. Several bills were pulled from hearing, and a consent calendar of committee bills later passed 4-0. AB 761 by Addis, the only item initially slated for a vote, was ultimately held over to the next hearing. The committee heard testimony on a series of tax-related proposals. AB 232 would create catastrophe savings accounts for homeowners to save pre-tax money for wildfire, flood, or earthquake-related expenses; it drew support from the Department of Insurance and the California Bankers Association, but was sent to suspense. AB 1443 would exempt tips from state income tax for five years and was supported by the California Restaurant Association and a restaurant owner, but also went to suspense. AB 1435 would provide relief to businesses and property owners facing cleanup and security costs from unauthorized encampments and illegal dumping; it received broad support from business, real estate, trucking, retail, and local government representatives, and was referred to suspense. The committee also heard AB 1428, which would create a California Affordable Child Care Fund financed by a 0.5% tax on income above $10 million; child care workers and SEIU-backed witnesses supported it, while taxpayer and business groups opposed it as harmful to competitiveness and affordability. AB 691 proposed a tax credit for adopting shelter pets and covering veterinary costs, AB 1219 proposed a middle- and low-income personal income tax cut, AB 1354 proposed a credit for increased homeowners insurance premiums, AB 19 proposed an education savings account/voucher-style program, and AB 567 proposed insurance rate stabilization and related tax/fund changes; each drew testimony for and against where present, but all were referred to suspense. The meeting ended with the committee adjourning after the held-over AB 761 item was postponed.

Transcript Highlights:

• They have all coded, they've all done development, all those things. So they truly are experts.
• But to answer your question directly, we certainly know who's received a pharmacy or a procedure code
• One of the things about commercial off-the-shelf software products is the company that owns that product
• One of the things about commercial off-the-shelf software products is the company that owns that product
• Because the Florida Legislature made the investment in moving us to a commercial off-the-shelf software

Summary: The subcommittee heard updates on several major technology modernization efforts, beginning with the Department of Financial Services’ Florida PALM project, which is replacing the state’s decades-old FLAIR accounting system. DFS described PALM as a statewide effort affecting all three branches of government, with cash management already live and the remaining financial management, payroll, and data warehouse components still in development. Officials said the project began in 2014, was restructured after a 2022 legislative pause, and is now being recommended for a go-live delay from January 2026 to July 2026. Members asked about governance, staffing, contract structure, cost growth, and maintenance costs; DFS said the contract is deliverable-based, the current amendment would add a net $2.2 million, and post-go-live maintenance is expected to be about $13 million annually under the current contract through July 2027. The Agency for Health Care Administration then updated the committee on the FX Medicaid enterprise modernization program. AHCA explained that federal CMS directed states to move from monolithic Medicaid systems to a modular approach, leading Florida to procure separate vendors for integration services, data warehouse, unified operations, provider services, and claims processing, with pharmacy benefits still to be procured. Officials said the project has spent about $334 million to date, with most costs federally matched, and requested $189.95 million for the upcoming year. They also highlighted a 2024 special assessment that produced 81 recommendations, most tied to staffing shortages, and said the Legislature added 47 FTEs, with 17 currently filled or being filled. Members asked about governance changes, production status, data access, and future technology maintenance; AHCA said some components are operational, the data warehouse is nearing certification, and the agency is working to keep the system adaptable and nonproprietary. The Department of Children and Families presented its Access modernization project, which is replacing a mainframe-based eligibility system used for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid assistance, and related programs. DCF said the six-year, $205 million project is in its third year and has already delivered a new customer portal with mobile access, multi-factor authentication, and fraud protections, while also building a worker portal, document management, community partner tools, and workload management functions. The agency said it is requesting $36.625 million for the next fiscal year, the same as last year, and emphasized that the project has remained on schedule and on budget by breaking work into smaller modules and using strong vendor and staff support. Members praised the project’s progress and asked about cybersecurity testing and the long delay before modernization began; DCF said security requirements were built in from the outset and that the remaining work will focus on moving staff off the legacy mainframe and modernizing notices and back-end processes.