Transcript Highlights:

• But it depends logistically for networking. You need kind of clusters.
• Depending on where you are located and how much power you expect to consume on a regular basis, customers

Summary: The Assembly Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact Committee met in person and established quorum after beginning briefly as a subcommittee. The committee adopted its rules and then heard several bills focused on economic recovery, housing, technology, retail theft, and utility infrastructure. AB 265 (Caloza) would create a $100 million state-funded small business and nonprofit recovery program for organizations affected by declared emergencies; it drew broad support from small business, nonprofit, chamber, city, and community groups, with no opposition voiced. AB 797 (Harabedian) proposed a zero-cost state financing structure using CRA-backed securities to help community nonprofits buy wildfire-damaged properties at fair market value and prevent predatory investor purchases; it was presented as a community stabilization tool and received support from the California Community Foundation, with no opposition. AB 940 (Wicks/Ellis) would establish quantum innovation zones to strengthen California’s quantum computing economy, and AB 949 (Shiavo) would create a retail theft grant program for small businesses to fund security improvements and theft prevention measures; both bills were supported by business and university witnesses, though one member said they would not vote for AB 949 due to concerns about broader crime policy. AB 1347 (Carrillo) proposed a pilot program to speed utility interconnections in priority growth regions, including allowing developers to trade expedited connections for upfront infrastructure cost recovery and use microgrids in some cases; it had no opposition in the hearing. Committee members generally expressed support for the bills, especially those aimed at disaster recovery and small business resilience. Questions on AB 940 focused on where quantum innovation zones might be located and how local governments and universities would coordinate; the author and witnesses said the zones should be open statewide and could build on existing research centers such as Berkeley, Stanford, Caltech, UCSB, UCLA, and UCSC. On AB 797, members discussed the need to protect homeowners from below-market offers after wildfires. On AB 949, the author emphasized that modest grants could help small businesses make security upgrades and prevent repeated theft losses. The committee voted to send AB 265, AB 797, AB 940, AB 949, and AB 1347 forward, generally on party-line or near-unanimous votes, with the bills reported out of committee and placed on call as needed. The consent calendar, including AB 254, AB 415, AB 655, AB 1232, AB 1254, AB 1477, and HR 27, was also approved. The hearing adjourned at 10:33 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• These foster youth or non-minor dependents are adults between the ages of 18 and 21 who are participating
• represents different counties, I heard from stakeholders in my district about the challenge non-minor dependents

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This dialogue is ongoing and it depends on feasibility, but certainly would not be happening without
• Uh, those take anywhere, depending on the size of the district can take anywhere from 3 to maybe 6 months

Committee: House Land & Resource Management

Transcript Highlights:

• SO THE FEES COULD RANGE FROM $50-$100 DEPENDING HOW THEY SET THE RULES OF THOSE PEOPLE WILL OPT IN THEMSELVES
• Truenow: I'M NOT SURE ON THE FRAMEWORK, THE RULEMAKING WILL DEPEND ON HOW THEY TO COME UP WITH A MODEL

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• instance, on my gas bills for my houses, you know, it ranges anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000 a year, depending
• Depending on how that response gets, they'll resolve it or they'll tell you what they want you to do.

Committee: Senate Banking and Insurance

Keywords: 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I often feel dependent on others and have had to ask for financial support more than once.
• We are very open; it really depends on who wants to work with us and who wants to sell us their bad debt

Bills: HF1646 , HF2443

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: medical debt, debt relief, healthcare financing, consumer protection, financial hardship, commerce, cannabis, insurance, housing, ombudsperson, affordability, property, task force, financial institutions

Transcript Highlights:

• There are independent districts like mine and there are dependent districts.
• The dependent districts must go through their county government for all of their budget, for every item

Summary: The Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee met and first took up CS/HB 973, a broad special districts bill focused heavily on soil and water conservation districts. The bill would dissolve 35 soil and water districts effective December 31, 2025, based on an OPAGA review that found widespread problems such as lack of revenue, inactive boards, poor notice practices, public records issues, and late financial reporting. It also would let special districts use state contracts, authorize FDLE background checks for district employees, preserve fire district taxing/service authority after annexation, extend liability protections for outdoor recreation on certain district lands, tighten eligibility for soil and water supervisors, and shift complaint review to the Commission on Ethics. Supporters argued the districts are often inactive, duplicative, and costly to review, while opponents said many districts provide local conservation, water quality, outreach, and volunteer services and should be given more time to remediate. Public testimony on HB 973 was mixed. Several soil and water district chairs and related advocates opposed the bill, saying their districts provide local conservation, flood, invasive species, education, and coordination services at little or no taxpayer cost, and that abolishing them would remove local representation and collaboration. The bill’s proponent, the Florida Association of Special Districts, supported the measure as a limited-government and accountability reform, arguing that districts with no revenue or contracts should not continue. Members debated whether the bill was relying on the OPAGA report while also eliminating future performance reviews, whether the Department of Agriculture could absorb the added responsibilities, and whether the districts should have been given more time to correct deficiencies. The committee ultimately voted the bill favorably, with one no vote from Representative Hinson. The committee then considered CS/HB 995, which applies to Monroe County and the Florida Keys. The bill would exempt Habitat for Humanity in the Keys from construction performance bond requirements for affordable housing, extend the Florida Keys land acquisition/set-aside authority in Florida Forever for 10 more years, and extend the hurricane evacuation time frame from 24 hours to 24.5 hours to allow up to 825 additional residential permit allocations, phased in over 10 years and directed largely toward vacant buildable lots and workforce housing. An amendment was adopted to codify the 825-unit allocation and the distribution framework. With no opposition offered on the bill, the committee reported HB 995 favorably by unanimous vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• The program is privately funded and dependent on financial support from the public through the purchase
• I guess it, I mean, would you think that it depends on.

Committee: House Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Transcript Highlights:

• changing the insurance regulatory trust fund to a continuing appropriation, that, I would say, is more, depending
• So right now in a biennium, we figure we turn back somewhere between $4 million and $6 million, depending

Committee: Senate Industry and Business

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Industry and Business reconvened to work on House Bill 1584, which would create a new pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) regulatory structure within the Insurance Department. Insurance Commissioner John Godfrey and Deputy Commissioner John Arnold explained a revised set of amendments negotiated with Representative Casper and the North Dakota Pharmacists Association. They said the bill largely kept the House policy intact but added technical corrections, narrowed some references in Chapter 19-02, created a separate PBM licensing class, set a delayed effective date for licensing, and established emergency authority so the department could begin building the new division. They also described the proposal to fund the program through existing trust fund resources, PBM license fees, and a transfer of about $1.6 million from the prescription drug transparency program fund, while allowing the department flexibility to hire needed attorneys, pharmacists, and examiners. A major point of discussion was Section 10, which would have required the Attorney General to represent and bear costs for lawsuits related to the bill. Chief Deputy Attorney General Claire Ness said the language was too broad and would go beyond normal constitutional defense work, potentially obligating her office to cover all lawsuits against the commissioner or state under the section. Representative Casper said the intent was only to avoid the Insurance Department having to seek emergency funding for litigation, and both he and department officials said they were open to removing the section or narrowing it. After further discussion, the committee agreed to remove Section 10 from the amendments. The committee then voted 4-0 to adopt the amended amendment package, and then voted 4-0 to give House Bill 1584 a do pass recommendation as amended and refer it to Appropriations. Members noted the bill was still a work in progress, but said the revised version was intended to move the PBM regulation issue forward while continuing discussion in the appropriations process.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of those are now approximating $600,000 to $700,000, depending on what's in them.
• Our communities have depended on their volunteers for years to run their ambulance services.

Bills: SB868 , SB1337 , SB1371 , SB1377 , SB1426 , SB1620 , SB2064 , SB2065 , SJR4 , SJR 4

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: SB 868, rural volunteer fire department assistance program, volunteer fire department assistance fund, Texas Government Code, wildfire, wildland fire, high-risk wildfire area, fire suppression, rural fire departments, volunteer firefighters, emergency response, public safety, grant allocation, appropriations, disaster preparedness, tax penalties, interest calculation, overpayment, tax law, refund process

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, drug, drug or chemical dependency or any other condition directly related to the drug or chemical
• Family Code allows a child to consent to counseling for suicide prevention, chemical addiction or dependency

Committee: House S/C on Family & Fiduciary Relationships

Transcript Highlights:

• It's all dependent on what it's funded at, right?
• Depends on the rule. Additional questions, members. Representative Rayner, I believe, was first.

Summary: The Budget Committee took up six bills. HB 313 passed unanimously and was reported favorably; it exempts vehicles or motorcycles displaying the Purple Heart specialty license plate from paying tolls on Florida facilities. HB 749 also passed and was reported favorably; it extends benefits to firefighters injured during training exercises. CS/HB 1103 passed and was reported favorably; it addresses APD’s developmental disability waitlist by increasing transparency, creating statewide family care councils, expanding the existing pilot program statewide on a phased timeline, and improving coordination for young adults transitioning out of foster care. Testimony on HB 1103 focused on the long waitlist, the need for more provider capacity and support coordinators, and concerns from Disability Rights Florida about moving too quickly without enough data, while supporters argued the current system is not working and families need access to services now. HB 1097 passed after a unanimous amendment removing an appropriation; it creates a premier academic insurance research center at Florida State University to conduct applied insurance and catastrophic risk research, with members discussing the transition from FIU and noting continued collaboration. HB 1309 passed and was reported favorably; it requires evidence-based reading interventions for K-2 students with reading deficiencies and creates a reading coaches program for grades 4-12. Supporters from education and business groups appeared in favor. CS/HB 433 also passed and was reported favorably, though it drew the most debate. The bill requires agencies to review existing rules and guidance documents for consistency with legislative intent, repromulgate rules over time, and report licensing metrics. Members raised concerns about possible duplication of work, staffing needs, and cost, while the sponsor and supporters argued agencies should already be doing this and that the bill would reduce unnecessary regulation and improve accountability. The committee then adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• there on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg and at least destroyed half of the Union Army, depending
• The First Minnesota's action meant that, depending on which way the Confederates would have rolled it

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it would depend on the facts and circumstances of each case, but there are certainly some examples
• I think it would depend on the facts and circumstances of each case, but there are certainly some examples

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met and considered nine bills, with members hearing brief presentations, limited debate, and mostly unanimous support. Early measures included CS/HB 421, which expands peer support access for first responders to include support personnel, and HB 205, which creates a new offense for abandoning a restrained dog during a natural disaster (“Troopers’ Law”). Both bills drew support from law enforcement and animal welfare-related witnesses, and both were reported favorably; HB 205 was adopted with a technical amendment. The committee also approved CS/HB 157 on service of process, which clarifies that a prior statutory change applies to all causes of action, creates a safe harbor for compliance, tightens substituted service requirements, and allows individual registered agents to be served anywhere in the state. HB 693, which adds an aggravating factor for capital felonies committed where people are gathered for school, religious, or public government activities, drew both support and opposition; the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops opposed expanding the death penalty, while supporters argued juries should have more tools in capital cases. The bill was reported favorably after debate. Members then approved CS/HB 113, increasing penalties for fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, after discussion about marked versus unmarked vehicles and an amendment that restored current penalties for two related offenses. Rep. Bracey Davis voted no, citing concerns about unmarked cars and public safety perceptions. The committee also passed HB 91 on misdemeanor probation, PCS/CS/HB 383 allowing certain officers and service members to purchase firearms without the three-day waiting period, and CS/HB 195 to let correctional education count toward professional licensure requirements for incarcerated people. Finally, CS/HB 479 was approved to allow judges to order restitution in hit-and-run property-damage cases. All bills were reported favorably, most by unanimous or near-unanimous votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of these municipalities depend on McAllen.
• loss of irrigation would result in an estimated loss of over 8,000 full-time and part-time jobs that depend

Bills: SCR13 , SB1248

Committee: Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Keywords: water rights, treaty compliance, Rio Grande, agriculture, drought, international water, Texas water supply, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, TPWD, harvest reports, wildlife harvest data, public information act, open records, confidentiality, hunter privacy, angler data, game animals, game birds, fur-bearing animals, nongame animals

Transcript Highlights:

• At the risk of sounding like an attorney, the answer is: it depends.
• From our perspective, it depends on the agency. If they shall do it, there’s no time frame.

Summary: The committee received an informational presentation from the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee (JAPC/JAPSI) staff and Chair Representative Overdorf on how Florida administrative rulemaking is reviewed. Mr. Plant explained that JAPC is a joint legislative oversight committee that monitors agency rules under Chapter 120, focusing on whether rules stay within statutory authority, whether agencies are acting consistently with legislative intent, and how the rulemaking process works. He emphasized that agencies are creatures of statute, that rulemaking authority must be specific enough to support the rule, and that without a date certain in statute, agencies may delay rulemaking indefinitely. Members asked about how to ensure agencies actually adopt rules, how to identify rules that exceed legislative intent, and how JAPC handles internal policies and delayed rulemaking. Representative Overdorf then described JAPC’s objection process and its limits. He said the committee does not approve or disapprove rules or direct agencies to adopt them, but it can object to proposed or existing rules that enlarge, modify, or contravene enabling statutes or fail to comply with Chapter 120. He noted that if an agency does not resolve an objection, a footnote is published in the Florida Administrative Code and the committee may recommend legislation to amend, suspend, or repeal the rule. He also discussed recent committee activity, including 1,355 proposed rules, 119 emergency rules, and 1,243 incorporated materials reviewed in 2024, and said the committee filed 31 objections against one agency after repeated noncompliance. The discussion also touched on possible changes to Chapter 120, including the governor’s 2019 request that agencies include five-year sunset provisions in rules, and a proposal to instead require periodic legislative review rather than automatic expiration. Overdorf also said the committee is considering raising the current statement of estimated regulatory costs thresholds of $200,000 annually or $1 million over five years because inflation has made those limits too low. No votes were taken on legislation, and the meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• SO DEPENDING UPON WHERE THAT IS THAT I WOULD NOT DO IT.
• IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO THE HOME.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, it depends. So we had two breast cancer patients, two females.
• </c> depending on how your insurance works. depending on how your insurance works.
• Um but it it really depends upon the individual situation.
• Um but it it really depends healthcare.
• So depending upon how we think so.

Committee: House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> government dependent. government dependent.
• There may not be, depending on the local school district.
• There may not be, depending on the local school district.
• on the on the local may not be depending on the on the local school<01:52:18.239><c> district.
• </c><02:47:28.479><c> on</c><02:47:28.640><c> the</c> the council is depending on the the council is

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened hearings on SB 69, including a germane amendment on school board votes to accept or reject gifts and donations, and a non-germane amendment creating a virtual early childhood readiness family engagement program for preschool children not yet in kindergarten. Prime sponsor Rep. Glenn Cordelli said the literacy program was modeled on earlier HB 671, would be funded through gifts and donations rather than state appropriations, and would include reporting requirements to the governor and legislature. Members questioned changes from the earlier bill, including the move away from center-based language, the lack of a dollar threshold for school board action on donations, anonymous gifts, and whether the amendment preserved enough evaluation data. Testimony on the donation provisions raised concerns about broad language, timing, and public-meeting requirements. Rep. Timothy Han and Becky Wilson of the New Hampshire School Boards Association both noted that school districts already have policies and asked how the bill would work for routine donations, anonymous gifts, and situations that might require non-public discussion under right-to-know law. Wilson cited examples such as field-trip scholarships, backpack drives, and sports uniforms, and said the association was not taking a position but wanted clearer guardrails. Rep. Han said school boards may need to discuss some gifts in non-public session and that the bill should better address those circumstances. On the early literacy amendment, Wilson and others questioned whether the program was sufficiently developed, whether it was appropriate to rely on a primarily online model for very young children, and how it would interact with special education services and IEPs. A representative from Waterford.org, Rob Riley, testified in support, saying the program would be supplementary, adaptive, and family-engagement based, and that Waterford could provide devices and internet access for families who need them. He said the program would work alongside school districts and IEP teams rather than replace existing services. No vote was taken during the hearing; the chair said the committee would later exec the bills and try to get reports in for the calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> government dependent. government dependent.
• There may not be, depending on the local school district.
• There may not be, depending on the local school district.
• There may not be, depending on the local school district.
• There may not be, depending on the local school district.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 69, including a germane amendment about local school boards’ acceptance or rejection of gifts and donations and a non-germane amendment creating a virtual early childhood readiness family engagement program for preschool children not yet in kindergarten. Rep. Cordelli said the early literacy proposal was a modified version of an earlier kindergarten readiness bill, would rely on gifts and donations rather than state appropriations, and would include reporting requirements. Members questioned the shift from a broader technology program to an online-only model, the lack of detailed evaluation metrics, how long children would use the program, and whether it was appropriate for very young children. Cordelli said the change was intended to avoid government dependence and still allow the program to be offered next school year. Several members raised concerns about the gift-acceptance language on the underlying bill, including whether school boards would need to vote on small donations, whether gifts could be handled in blocks or at regular meetings, and how anonymous donations would work under right-to-know laws. Rep. Han noted that some gift discussions might belong in non-public session under RSA 91-A, while Rep. Cornell said acceptance or rejection of gifts could be handled at regular meetings and suggested a dollar threshold could be added later. The New Hampshire School Boards Association said it was not taking a position but wanted clearer guardrails, policy guidance, and clarification on timing, anonymity, and public-meeting requirements. Supporters of the early childhood program, including Waterford.org, said the proposal would provide an evidence-based, adaptive online literacy program with family engagement for four- and five-year-olds, and that it could help close early learning gaps. Waterford said it could work collaboratively with school districts and IEP teams, and that it would provide devices and internet access for families who need them. Committee members pressed on how the program would interact with existing special education services and whether districts could use it as part of an IEP; the response was that it would be supplementary and not an approved special education service. No votes were taken during the hearing; the chair indicated the committee would later executive the bills and try to get reports filed promptly.