Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 199 may be used for the administration of the local DWI grant program.
• We chose to spend money in other programs instead of in road safety and in roads, Mr.
• I know they have a federal accelerator program now.
• program in the RAID Act and fostering a more circular economy.
• Programs that we're seeking to implement, and are we trying to mirror other states with these?

Transcript Highlights:

• We have our Kentucky Proud program or BCAL programs.
• We have our LFPA programs that are federally funded, our farm-to-school programs, and we're trying to
• function of UK and and their programs function of UK and and their programs that<00:02:45.239>
• acres is we have amazing programs acres is we have amazing programs currently<00:03:21.519> at
• /c><00:03:26.640> have<00:03:26.720> our program or bcal programs we have our program or

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard extended testimony from Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell and several senators about using agriculture economic development funds to make Kentucky farms more profitable and attract related businesses. Discussion focused on expanding markets for corn, soybeans, beef, dairy, and other products through biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel, feedlots, processing plants, transportation, and other infrastructure that would keep more value in-state. Members also discussed the profitability pressures on farmers, high land prices, and the need for small-farm support and aggregation programs such as Kentucky Proud, BCAL, KOAP, CAP, food-is-medicine efforts, LFPA, and farm-to-school initiatives. Senators raised specific ideas and concerns, including raw milk and food-freedom innovation, support for 5-acre and other small farms, and the possibility of a beef processing plant in Kentucky. Shell said raw milk testing is not currently a department function but could be explored with legislative direction, and he emphasized that Kentucky must first prove it can feed cattle at scale before a processor is likely to locate here. He also argued that changing conditions in the West and Midwest, including water limits, workforce shortages, and regulatory pressure, could make Kentucky increasingly competitive for beef processing and feedlot operations. Several senators shared personal farming experiences to underscore the difficulty of making a living in agriculture and the need for off-farm income or value-added businesses. They cited examples such as grain storage, dairy products, chicken and hog operations, and restaurant or rental income supporting farm operations. Commissioner Shell said the fund is intended to fill gaps and attract businesses that need Kentucky agricultural products, creating premium markets and more local jobs. After questions concluded, the committee took up the bill, with a motion by Senator Richardson and a second by Senator Nunn. The roll call was taken, and the bill passed unanimously. The committee then moved to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• County and Alameda County to implement a pilot program allowing them to dispose of recreational vehicles
• However, there is no evidence that limiting access to diversion programs advances that goal.
• Programs like this give responsible gun owners practical options.
• Diversion programs are an important public safety tool.
• I think it's extremely important to have these diversion programs.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It deletes the hazard mitigation grant program.
• The Schools of Hope program, Of 422, the Schools of Hope program that falls below $25 million.
• So we did include pre-K programs in here as a result of many conversations we had because those are programs
• , rural access to primary care and preventative care program, Obstetric response and education program
• program expansion, the expansion of the frame loan repayment program to make physicians working in rural

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, quorum established, and several recognitions, including a legislative intern, a guest in the gallery, and Representative Bruce Antone’s upcoming induction into the Tuskegee Athletic Hall of Fame. The Speaker also gave brief remarks about the end of session and the freshman class. The chamber then took up a series of Senate-returned messages and concurred or insisted on several amendments while moving bills toward final passage. The House unanimously approved CS/CS/HB 1299 on Department of Health matters, CS/HB 1549 on financial institutions after adopting a House amendment to remove the IOTA-related provision, and CS/CS/SB 768 on foreign ties and business interests after a House concurrence motion. It also insisted on its amendment to CS/CS/CS/SB 184 on housing. CS/CS/HB 875 on educator preparation was amended to restore House provisions on teacher-prep courses, the Florida Center for Teaching Excellence at Miami-Dade College, and related testing and mentor-qualification changes; it passed 91-22 after debate over teacher certification, testing, and “identity politics” language. HB 1101 on out-of-network providers was amended to keep the House’s original notice and referral framework with a good-cause exemption; it passed 87-27 despite objections that it placed too much responsibility on doctors. After recess, the House took up CS/CS/SB 180 on emergency preparedness and response. Members described changes including removal of some homestead-assessment and debris-removal provisions, a study requirement for a post-hurricane county restriction concept, and a Florida Keys evacuation-time change paired with a 10-year cap of 900 permit allocations; the bill passed 116-0. The House also refused to concur in a Senate amendment to HB 1609 on waste incineration and requested the Senate recede. Later, the House returned to HB 1101 and insisted on its amendment after the Senate refused to concur. The longest debate came on CS/CS/HB 1115 on education, where the House amendment replaced the Senate version with the substance of HB 1267, including Schools of Hope, higher education governance, and course transparency. Members questioned provisions expanding Schools of Hope co-location and sponsorship authority beyond traditional opportunity zones, the role of the Department of Education versus school districts, transportation and facility-cost issues, and performance-based agreements. Supporters said the changes would expand options for students and use vacant or underutilized facilities; opponents argued the language was added late, lacked transportation funding, and could allow charter operators to enter high-performing schools. The bill remained under debate at the end of the transcript, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• standing up this program? standing up this program? >> Director? >> Director?
• from 2005 to 2016 for specific programs. from 2005 to 2016 for specific programs.
• of the aquatic invasive species program. of the aquatic invasive species program.
• You're going to do these programs. You're going to do these programs.
• . program. program.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• bureaus and program bureaus and program areas<00:10:35.519> in<00:10:35.720> addition<
• <00:15:51.680> at is our community Navigator program at is our community Navigator program
• <00:43:03.000> that's Community Navigator program that's Community Navigator program that's
• We're sending staff out to visit these programs on a monthly basis to meet with kids in the program areas
• We're sending staff out to visit these programs on a monthly basis to meet with kids in the program areas

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Division 3 House Finance Committee opened a work session and announced scheduling updates, including a second Medicaid work session on March 5 at 9:00 a.m. and a reminder that recommendations or budget amendments must be moved to the full finance committee by the end of March. Members were told no motions, roll calls, or votes would be taken, and the chair also reviewed upcoming meeting dates and weather-related cancellation procedures. The day’s presentation was a budget work session on the Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), with officials Marie Nunan and Nathan White introducing the agency’s budget materials and mission. DCYF’s presentation focused on its core mandates and recent operational changes. Officials described child protective services, juvenile justice services, and the Sununu Youth Services Center, then highlighted workforce improvements, including reduced vacancy rates for assessment caseworkers, juvenile justice officers, and youth counselors. They attributed the staffing gains to legislative pay raises, mass recruitment posting changes, a more stable and trauma-informed model at SYC, and broader flexibility after prior budget cuts and hiring freezes. Members asked about full-time versus part-time staffing, and DCYF said most positions discussed were full-time, with some harder-to-fill part-time youth counselor roles at SYC. The committee also discussed DCYF’s emphasis on serving families earlier through its Community Navigator hotline referrals and community-based voluntary services, which are intended to connect families to supports before abuse or neglect escalates. Officials said the Community Navigator program had received 807 referrals since August 2023. On juvenile justice, DCYF described its assessment and diversion process and said it had reduced juvenile probation involvement by 30% from 2019 to 2023; members were directed to slide 17 for 2024 data, and officials said the trend continued toward fewer in-home juvenile justice cases. The agency also reported progress in kinship care, saying initial out-of-home placements with kin now occur 74% of the time and that kinship placements are associated with more reunification. Officials said kinship caregivers are being licensed and paid similarly to foster parents, and that the legislature’s kinship law has helped. Finally, DCYF outlined transition-age youth supports, including the HOPE program, Youth Villages LifeSet, and housing vouchers. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• How does the program actually work?
• How does the program actually work?
• How does the program actually work?
• How does the program actually work?
• It enables the program to function as intended, makes the program functional. Thanks.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The discussion focused on a cannabis legalization/regulation bill and whether it should be retained for further study or moved forward. Members debated the fiscal impact, with one side emphasizing that the bill would cost about $7.1 million in the first two years before generating revenue, while supporters argued the House should make a statement in favor of legalization despite likely opposition from the Senate and governor. There was also disagreement over strategy: some said retaining the bill until closer to the next election would give the issue more visibility, while others said delaying would only avoid sending a bill the Senate was unlikely to take up anyway. A major point of contention was whether cannabis should be regulated by a new cannabis commission or placed under the Liquor Commission. Supporters of the Liquor Commission argued it already has enforcement infrastructure, especially for age restrictions, and could handle cannabis more efficiently without creating a new bureaucracy. Opponents said cannabis is a different industry that would require specialized expertise, and they objected to expanding the Liquor Commission, which they described as unpopular and costly. The committee also discussed past versions of the bill, including concerns about limited licenses and the perception that the earlier approach favored large businesses. Members reviewed specific provisions such as licensing fees, THC limits, and cultivation categories. One member noted a $10,000 fee for retail cannabis stores and cannabis product manufacturers authorized to perform extractions, while a smaller tier-one cultivator fee was described as a lower-cost option for small growers. There was also discussion of whether the bill would allow sales through general retail outlets or only dedicated cannabis stores, and whether plants and seeds were covered. No final vote or action was clearly recorded in the excerpt, but the main procedural question was whether to retain the bill for more work or advance it as written.

Transcript Highlights:

• unlike other Public Assistance Program unlike other Public Assistance programs<01:35:25.760> with
• so expand the program any further so expand the program any further so there's<01:36:48.639>
• <01:45:15.920> or children in the EFA program either or children in the EFA program either
• c><01:45:26.960> been program a program that has been program a program that has been extremely
• <01:49:23.440> serves Year FAA program serves Year FAA program serves 5,321<01:49:26.159><

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We look at the down payment assistance program and again made a couple of changes to make the program
• general fund from that program as well. general fund from that program as well.
• We won't be having additional funding in the depredation program and also in the local foods program
• We won't be having additional funding in the depredation program and also in the local foods program
• We won't be having additional funding in the depredation program and also in the local foods program

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House first adopted a conference committee report on House File 3900, a constitutional amendment related to state government and school trust lands. Members from both parties praised the work on the bill and said the conference committee returned a clean version of the House-passed measure. The report was adopted without opposition, and the bill was repassed as amended by conference on a 134-0 roll call. The chamber then took up Senate File 4282, a forecast-adjustments bill covering K-12 education, human services, children and families, and transportation. Representative Youakim explained that the conference report restored all four forecast articles plus several no-cost education items, including school fund transfers, utility-payment authority, a paraprofessional licensing clarification, a grant extension, and school trust lands language. Representative Mueller moved to refuse adoption, arguing the report had become a catchall and omitted agreed-upon literacy language; that motion failed 62-72. The House then adopted the conference report, and the bill was repassed as amended by conference on a 94-37 vote. Next, the House concurred in Senate amendments to House File 4138, the social media bill aimed at restricting addictive social media harms for minors. The Senate had removed House “threat alert” language, and the author said that was the only substantive difference. Supporters said the bill would protect kids online and require parental permission for social media accounts for children 15 and under. The House concurred and repassed the bill as amended by the Senate on a 131-2 vote. The House then began consideration of Senate File 2373, a labor and industry bill exempting minor league baseball players from minimum wage and overtime requirements. Through a series of amendments, members added provisions on rural cancer research, disability services and employment access, unemployment insurance for certain laid-off Iron Range miners, and agricultural funding items such as depredation, local foods, down payment assistance, and meat processing grants. One proposed amendment to remove the double-fencing requirement for farmed cervidae was strongly opposed as a threat to deer health and was defeated 61-72. The transcript ends during debate on that amendment, before final disposition of the bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• programs being taught in those schools.
• So adopt it into the states and adopt it into their programs.
• of a specialty program here today.
• So we are updating the NUCP program as we talk.
• And you can see the progress in all the other programs here.

Summary: The Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee met to hear a series of presentations on the economics, financing, workforce, and community impacts of advanced nuclear deployment in North Dakota. William Bridge of Nucleon Energy presented the committee’s economic impacts and private-sector financing report, estimating construction and operating job impacts, local spending, and state/local tax effects for hypothetical SMR projects. He said the report assumes first-of-a-kind costs are still high, used a $6 million per megawatt nth-of-a-kind proxy, and estimated peak construction workforces of about 500 for a 200-MW plant and 1,000 for a larger facility, with roughly 100 operating jobs for a 200-MW plant. Committee members questioned security costs, capital cost assumptions, water and transmission siting constraints, and whether the model included fuel and waste; Bridge said the report included initial fuel in capital cost and that waste disposal is funded through existing federal mechanisms. Lori Brady of the Nuclear Energy Institute then outlined national nuclear workforce needs and NEI’s strategic workforce planning efforts. She described declining labor-force participation, retirements, and the need for a much larger future workforce, and said NEI has organized recommendations around career awareness, pipelines, training and qualification, policy support, retention, and nontraditional recruitment. She highlighted tools such as the Nuclear Works career website, the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, the new federal Energy and Natural Resources career cluster, and the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program for community colleges. Members asked about AI, timing for training relative to plant development, and whether advanced manufacturing would reduce staffing needs; Brady said AI is not expected to replace workers and that training timelines depend on the specific project and staffing plan. The committee also heard from Gary Yaco, mayor of Red Wing, Minnesota, who described Prairie Island’s role in his community. He said the plant provides a large share of local property tax revenue, supports well-paid jobs, contributes to emergency preparedness funding and training, and is broadly supported by the city despite periodic protests and public concerns. He emphasized the plant’s security, regular drills with local and federal responders, and the absence of problems with dry cask storage. Later, Benton Arnett of NEI discussed the current financing landscape for advanced nuclear, explaining how tax credits, federal loan support, off-take agreements, and new business models are helping projects move forward. He said early projects face high upfront costs and long lead-time procurement, but that investor confidence is improving as federal policy and regulatory streamlining continue. The committee asked about waste funding, comparisons with natural gas, the effect of political shifts on investor confidence, and whether the market will narrow to a few winning technologies; Arnett said the industry is still sorting that out, but expects clearer winners in the late 2020s and early 2030s. The meeting concluded with an introductory presentation from Julie Kazeraki of DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, who said the office is focused on accelerating nuclear deployment through financing support.

Transcript Highlights:

• The federally funded nonprofit security grant program is an annual program that provides funds to support
• The program has grown from $75,000 in its first year to nearly $4.5 million this fiscal year.
• program.
• We go over it all, and we try to prioritize the state-funded program.
• We think of it more from a like, oh, your kid needs an inclusion program this summer.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Anti-Semitism met to focus on the role of law enforcement in responding to anti-Semitic incidents. After approving amended minutes, the chair opened with remarks emphasizing that the Commission would confront anti-Semitism from any political direction and outlined the day’s agenda: extremist activity trends, hate-crime statutes, intergovernmental coordination, and security funding. The first presentation came from Ben Pott of the ADL Center on Extremism, who described rising extremist propaganda and anti-Semitic incidents nationally and in Massachusetts, highlighting groups such as NSC-131, GDL, and Patriot Front. He said these groups increasingly use anti-Zionist language, public disruptions, and online platforms to spread hate, and recommended prosecution where possible, civil litigation, education about symbols and tactics, and community reporting to law enforcement and ADL. Assistant District Attorney David Solvin then reviewed federal and Massachusetts hate-crime laws, including federal civil-rights and hate-crime statutes and state provisions for civil-rights violations, assault and battery to intimidate, religious vandalism, terroristic threats, and criminal harassment. He explained that many of these laws enhance penalties based on bias motivation, but some do not create standalone offenses or qualify as dangerousness predicates under current law. Commissioners pressed him on hypothetical fact patterns involving anti-Semitic slurs, symbols, and attacks, as well as on the limits of existing law for pretrial detention and the need for better data collection. Solvin said more training, better reporting, and possible legislative updates could improve enforcement, and he noted pending bills that would require more regular hate-crime reporting and expand protected classes. Detective Lieutenant Ryan Cepiel of the State Police Anti-Terrorism Unit and HART described the unit’s creation in 2023, its role in implementing prior hate-crime task force recommendations, and its work with local, state, federal, and community partners. He said HART has trained civil-rights officers, developed recruit and in-service curricula, created resource pamphlets and a Teams page, and is building a GIS-based reporting portal to improve tracking and victim support. Cepiel reported a year-over-year rise in reported anti-Semitic hate crimes in Massachusetts, while noting that current numbers are incomplete because reporting is inconsistent and there is no mandate for local departments to notify HART. Commissioners discussed underreporting, rural versus eastern Massachusetts coverage, the need for more officers and training, and the importance of making victims feel safe coming forward. The meeting ended with agreement that better data, training, and coordination are needed to address the rise in anti-Semitic hate and bias incidents.

Transcript Highlights:

• And sustained funding, not temporary pilot programs. and sustained funding, not temporary pilot programs
• We have an MMIP drone program.
• possibly use the drone program.
• This is why programs like ours matter.
• It was a summer program through social services.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Under the pilot program, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Children and Families must
• Under the program, a customer will have the option to be placed in a callback queue to receive a call
• While some agencies currently have implemented various queue systems, this pilot program will establish
• Advise on training programs for law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes,
• assess existing state programs related to education, digital media literacy, identifying educational

Bills: S0330, S0526, S0862, S1072, S1078, S1192, S1250, S1296, S1298, S1642, S1698, S7022

Keywords: firefighter disability, law enforcement disability, correctional officer disability, correctional probation officer, presumptive disability, workers' compensation, line of duty presumption, heart disease presumption, hypertension presumption, tuberculosis presumption, public safety employees, first responders, physical examination, preemployment exam, medical specialist, Medicare reimbursement, employing agency, Florida Statutes 112.18, Florida Statutes 943.13, occupational disease

Summary: The committee heard several bills and confirmations, with most measures reported favorably. Senate Bill 330 clarified the heart disease presumption for firefighters, law enforcement, and correctional officers, codifying the medical definition of heart disease and allowing transferring law enforcement officers to rely on a prior physical if a new agency does not provide one. Support was waived in by the Florida Smart Justice Alliance and the Fraternal Order of Police, and the bill passed unanimously. Senate Bill 526, as amended by a delete-all amendment, addressed commercial construction contracts, permit standards, fee reductions when private providers are used, floodproofing, product approval categories, and adoption of certain electrical code standards; it drew support from several construction and business groups and one opposing appearance, then was reported favorably. Senate Bill 1192 created a pilot program for callback queues at the Department of Commerce and Department of Children and Families to reduce hold times for callers seeking re-employment assistance and public benefits, and it also passed favorably. Senate Bill 1078 established transition procedures for a governor-elect, including agency liaisons, briefing materials, office space, and access to records; an amendment shifted IT support to the Department of Management Services, narrowed access to confidential records, and increased penalties for unauthorized disclosure, after which the bill was approved. Senate Bill 7022 extended a public records exemption for classroom examinations and assessment instruments through 2031 and expanded coverage to school district boards and public schools; it was also reported favorably. Senate Bill 862, as amended, set a $60,000 salary goal by 2030 for state correctional officers, probation officers, and institutional security specialists, with annual raises subject to appropriations; members and witnesses emphasized recruitment, retention, and safety, and the bill passed. Senate Bill 1250 removed the requirement that the Commission on Human Relations use registered mail for certain notices under the Florida Civil Rights Act, allowing less expensive notice methods, and it was reported favorably. Senate Bill 1698 allowed certain employers to post required workplace notices electronically instead of physically, and it passed without opposition. The committee also recommended confirmation of 10 appointees to the Florida Commission on Human Relations and the State Retirement Commission. The most extensive debate centered on Senate Bill 1072, which created an anti-Semitism task force within the Department of Legal Affairs to review anti-Semitism in Florida, improve community relations, advise on law enforcement training, assess digital media literacy efforts, evaluate hate crime statutes, and recommend policy changes. The sponsor said the bill was intended to address a growing problem and noted that Florida already uses the Holocaust Remembrance definition of anti-Semitism in statute. Numerous speakers opposed the bill, arguing it could chill protected speech, especially criticism of Israel, and could be used selectively against students, activists, Muslims, Arabs, and Jewish anti-Zionists; several also said existing hate-crime and civil-rights laws were sufficient and that the task force should include protections against Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate. One member raised concerns about the constitutionality of creating such task forces in light of prior actions by the Attorney General. Despite the opposition, the bill was reported favorably on a party-line style vote with Senator Bracey Davis voting yes along with the majority. Senate Bill 1642, the Freedom in the Workplace Act, was also heard and drew significant questioning. The bill would bar public employers and contractors from requiring pronoun use, certain gender-identity-related training, or non-binary sex options on forms, and would protect employees and contractors from adverse action based on religious, moral, conscience-based, or biology-based beliefs. Senator Polsky questioned whether the bill could interfere with anti-harassment training and workplace discipline, while the sponsor said the measure was meant to prevent government coercion and extend protections similar to those in school settings. The transcript cuts off before the final disposition of this bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this would be the end of this funding for this program. This funding for this program.
• Page 59 is the program delivery.
• It's their program delivery item with the same thing.
• For interns and program staff for psychology internship programs.
• But this is the program that... And then increased number of individuals utilizing this program.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Two is FEMA has a program called the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, referred to as HMGP.
• And this is why the FEMA flood mitigation program and the hazard mitigation program is important.
• Those are federal programs.
• In this program, the FMA is part of FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs.
• We are in the building phase of that program, in the infancy of that program.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:21:41.520> and accessible housing programs and accessible housing programs and authorizes
• Specifically, the bill Grant Program.
• assistance program. Favorable. assistance program. Favorable.
• This bill GED option pilot program.
• It updates and expands the statutory program.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation, confirmed a quorum, and welcomed several guests and groups, including Maryland Library Association members, Stephen Decatur High School’s boys soccer team, Clarksburg High School’s girls flag football team, NAMI representatives, Baltimore Promise, local soil conservation district representatives, and a 911 center leader. The chamber also journalized the invocation and prepared for the Governor’s upcoming State of the State address by exchanging messages with the House and appointing Senate members to escort the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The body then took up a series of Finance Committee bills, most of them receiving favorable reports and being ordered to third reading without objection. Measures discussed included SB 14 on small business health insurance SHOP enrollment effective dates; SB 22 on Department of Disabilities housing programs and affiliated foundations; SB 134 on Medicare supplement policy enrollment periods; SB 139 on third-party administrator enforcement; SB 199 on the Individuals with Disabilities and Service-Disabled Veterans Voting Fund; SB 205 codifying federal mental health parity requirements; SB 216 on unemployment insurance confidentiality; SB 43 on the Maryland Community Investment Venture Fund; SB 46 on state veterans cemeteries interment provisions; and SB 226 on the Maryland Heritage Area Authority. Several bills had brief amendments or procedural issues. SB 22 received a technical amendment changing “Attorney General” to “Office of the Attorney General.” SB 199 received an amendment adding a co-sponsor, and SB 46 was briefly set to lie over under the rule after a senator requested time to review a technical clarification. The chamber also received House Bill 1, which was referred to committee, and SB 624 was reassigned to the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. Most committee reports were adopted unanimously or without objection, and the Senate repeatedly congratulated the honored school teams and library advocates.

Transcript Highlights:

• , to our Title IX, Title V, and all of these other programs.
• Because, well, the reason I ask is you said 75% comes from federal programs.
• Of course, UNM has incredible programs, but not just UNM.
• We also have workforce development programs at our smaller community colleges.
• So, that's kind of where I look at this program from.

Transcript Highlights:

• The government efficiency task force on which I serve has recommended modernizing the long-range program
• Finally, it gives school districts the authority to oversee their own public VPK programs. Mr.
• It is creating a free, long-term anchoring permit program.
• That's been the largest hurdle to the state hemp program.
• The state hemp program has always come in and been that need.

Summary: The Committee on Fiscal Policy considered several bills and reported all of them favorably. SB 70-24, on state planning and budgeting, was presented as a modernization of the long-range planning program to simplify reporting, remove outdated measures, and focus on key data points and outcomes; it passed without opposition. CS/SB 166, on administrative efficiency in public schools, made broad changes to school accountability and operations, including lowering the stakes of certain student assessments, giving districts more flexibility on evaluations, contracts, certification, calendars, facilities, and VPK oversight. Two amendments were adopted: one clarifying that Title I funds may be used for STEM services, and another refining how advanced degrees count on salary schedules. The bill passed favorably after testimony both supporting and opposing the changes, with supporters emphasizing flexibility and opponents raising concerns about teacher evaluation and instructional practice. CS/SB 164, on vessel accountability, was described as a measure to address derelict and at-risk vessels by improving owner identification, creating a free long-term anchoring permit program, increasing penalties, and authorizing grants for local governments in the FWC prevention program. It received support from marine industry groups and was reported favorably. CS/SB 472, on education and correctional facilities for licensed professions, would allow inmates to receive credit toward licensure for qualifying coursework; a strike-all amendment added coordination with DBPR and professional boards. The bill drew support from criminal justice, business, and policy groups and passed unanimously. The committee spent the most time on CS/SB 438, on food and hemp products. Senator Burton and co-sponsor Senator Davis argued the bill was needed to regulate intoxicating hemp products, restrict child-appealing packaging and signage, ban synthetic hemp products, cap THC content in edibles and beverages, and require hemp beverages to be sold through alcohol-style distribution channels. Supporters, including alcohol distributors and some public safety advocates, said the bill would improve testing, labeling, and consumer protection. Opponents, including hemp retailers, farmers, and libertarian advocates, argued it would harm small businesses, reduce consumer choice, and push sales to the black market. After extensive debate, the bill was reported favorably. At the end of the meeting, senators requested to be recorded as voting in the affirmative on tab five, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a results-based program.
• just make up a program and let it go. just make up a program and let it go.
• We want to support those programs.
• We want to support those programs.
• We want to support those programs.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:21:42.720> in today about how the library programs in today about how the library programs
• specialist meant no library programming specialist meant no library programming in<00:25:55.600>
• <01:21:17.360> That early literacy programming. That early literacy programming.
• That includes a Champions program.
• library construction grant program library construction grant program [laughter]<01:46:51.520>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all