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FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Agriculture Jan 13th, 2026

Agriculture

Transcript Highlights:
  • Lastly, the main reason why we opened the youth farm is civic engagement.
  • Thanks to help and talk that we've opened up more spots for more teens to work there, and we have many
  • up more spots for more teens to work there and the, yeah, we've opened up more spots for teens to work
  • We want to open up the youth farm cafe.
  • And we're all open for your questions. Well, thank you very much, Ms. Bristol. Members are...
Bills: S0534, S7020
Summary: The committee met, called the roll, and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. It first considered the appointment of Melanie Ressler to the Florida Citrus Commission. No appearance forms were requested, and the committee voted unanimously to recommend her confirmation favorably. The committee then took up SPB 7020, which reenacts a public records exemption for certain aquaculture production records held by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Senator Trunow explained that the exemption protects shellfish and submerged land lease records, supports compliance with federal partners and statutory requirements, and helps protect marketplace competition. A representative from the Department appeared in support, and the bill was moved as a committee bill and reported favorably. Next, the committee heard SB 534, Senator Bernard’s hunger-free campus pilot program bill. He described a pilot within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to identify campuses with high numbers of Pell-eligible students, develop a survey with the Hunger Task Force, designate staff to help students enroll in SNAP, expand campus food access, and require reporting on outcomes and future funding. The bill had one appearance form in support and was reported favorably without debate. The committee also received a presentation from the St. Pete Youth Farm, led by Carla Bristol and youth ambassadors. They described the farm as a youth-led community project on city-owned land that addresses food insecurity while providing leadership, financial literacy, career readiness, mental wellness programming, composting, aquaponics, and community events. Senators praised the program, asked about possible expansion into a culinary kitchen and partnerships with schools, and the presenters said they hope to expand youth opportunities, food preparation training, and related programming. The meeting concluded with adjournment.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Governmental Oversight and Accountability Jan 12th, 2026

Governmental Oversight and Accountability

Transcript Highlights:
  • SB 7016 is the result of the Open Government Sunset Review and saves from repeal the public record exemption
Summary: The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability met and first postponed SB 350 for a future meeting. The committee then considered a series of Open Government Sunset Review bills preserving or extending public records and public meeting exemptions. SB 7000, relating to emergency shelter recipients’ address and phone information, and SB 7002, relating to Department of Military Affairs records in Department of Defense systems, were both amended to set a new sunset date of October 2, 2031 and reported favorably. SB 7012, concerning Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records, was amended to conform its effective date with the House companion and also reported favorably. The committee next heard SB 7006, which preserves exemptions for certain Florida Public Service Commission hearing portions involving confidential proprietary utility information, and SB 7008, which preserves similar exemptions for the Florida Gaming Control Commission; both were reported favorably without amendment. SB 7004, concerning conviction integrity unit investigation information, was also reported favorably after testimony that state attorney conviction integrity units support keeping the exemption in place beyond its current repeal date. Later, the committee took up SB 7014, presented by Senator Arrington on behalf of Senator Leitz, and adopted a committee substitute extending to October 2, 2031 two exemptions tied to Department of Legal Affairs investigations of social media platforms. The committee also approved SB 7016, which preserves the exemption for certain financial information used by economic development agencies to administer small business loan programs. At the end of the meeting, members recorded affirmative votes on several bills and the committee adjourned.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Health Policy Jan 26th, 2026

Health Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • committed to the continued ongoing dialogue to make sure that it does, in fact, leave the state path open
  • That by creating a simple grandfathering process for any ACN certificate holder who has an active primary
  • As I said in the opening to the bill, parents need to be in the driver's seat for every aspect of their
  • I had a conversation with my primary care doctor. I've had a good friend for many, many years...
  • I had a conversation with my primary care doctor.
Bills: S1082, S1168, S1756, S1156, S1480
Summary: The committee took up several health-related bills. SB 1082, on a statewide provider and health plan claim dispute resolution program, was presented as a way to let providers and insurers use the federal independent dispute resolution process for emergency out-of-network claims under state-regulated commercial plans. A late-filed amendment clarified when providers and health plans could access the state program, and the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. SB 1168, which would centralize background screening clearinghouse functions at the Agency for Health Care Administration, also passed as amended after an amendment requiring sealed and expunged records to be included in screenings for qualified entities. Supporters said centralization would improve turnaround times, reduce duplication, and save costs; the sponsor said the bill also addresses coaches’ background screening language from last session. The committee then approved SB 1156, which moves ambulatory surgery center regulation out of the hospital-focused chapter of law into a standalone section, and SB 1480, as amended by a strike-all, which would grandfather certain temporary certificate holders practicing in areas of critical need if federal designation changes affect those areas. Testimony on SB 1480 emphasized continuity of care for patients in underserved communities, and the bill was reported favorably. The final and most heavily debated measure was SB 1756 on medical freedom, which would require state-approved educational materials on childhood vaccines, require practitioners to provide those materials and alternative schedules before vaccination, expand school immunization exemptions to include conscience-based objections, clarify that the Surgeon General cannot order vaccination during a public health emergency, and authorize pharmacists to provide ivermectin behind the counter without a prescription with written information and safeguards. The sponsor argued the bill strengthens parental choice and informed consent. Committee members raised concerns about vaccine-preventable disease risks, immunocompromised children, school outbreaks, and the impact of adding a new exemption. A Department of Health representative said the department would need to provide details on the history of exemption consultations and noted that removing the earlier consultation requirement had not been shown to increase outbreaks. The committee adopted a friendly amendment to give physicians the same liability protection as pharmacists for ivermectin dispensing, but rejected a substitute amendment that would have required a consultation for exemption requests. Public testimony was overwhelmingly opposed to the bill, with physicians, pediatric specialists, cancer advocates, parents of immunocompromised children, and public health groups warning that it would lower vaccination rates and endanger vulnerable Floridians. The bill remained pending after testimony, with the committee continuing to hear public comment.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House State Government Finance and Policy Committee 2/24/26

State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • Uh, and with that, we'll open it up to questions on your DE amendment.
  • Uh, and with that, we'll open it up to questions on your DE amendment.
  • Uh, and with that, we'll open it up to questions on your DE amendment.
  • Uh, and with that, we'll open it up to questions on your DE amendment.
  • Uh, and with that, we'll open it up to questions on your DE amendment.
Bills: SF856, HF3168, HF3528, HF389
AL

Alabama 2026 Regular Session

Alabama House Shelby County Legislation Committee Feb 19th, 2026

Shelby County Legislation

Transcript Highlights:
  • Let's open in prayer real quickly. >> Representative Dvau, here. >> Representative Ellis. >> Representative
  • Let's open in prayer real quickly.
Bills: SB275, SB276
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Public Health Feb 11th, 2026 at 09:00 am

Public Health

Transcript Highlights:
  • Staff, please open the queue for a vote.
  • Seeing none, please open the queue for a vote.
  • Seeing none, please open the queue for a vote.
  • Staff, please open the queue for a vote.
  • Staff, please open the queue for a vote.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Public Health Feb 11th, 2026

Public Health

Transcript Highlights:
  • Seeing none, staff, please open the queue for a vote.
  • Seeing none, staff, please open the queue for a vote.
  • Seeing none, staff, please open the queue for a vote.
  • If not, clerk, open the queue for a vote.
  • Seeing none, staff, please open the queue for a vote.
Summary: The committee first announced several bills would be laid over because sponsors were absent, then took up House Bill 4423, which would require Medicaid applicants to be legal U.S. citizens. After adopting a PCS, members asked whether Medicaid already had citizenship limits, and the bill passed 4-1. House Bill 3342 followed, revising the Health Care Authority audit process; the sponsor said it was based on an Arkansas model, had no fiscal impact, and was intended to be fairer after prior problems. It passed 5-0. House Bill 3645, allowing physicians or other independent doctors to authorize hospice referral when a patient lacks next of kin or is not coherent, also passed 5-0. House Bill 3647, creating an all-payer claims database through the state HIE for greater transparency in medical costs, passed 5-0 after a question about which entities would be included or excluded. House Bill 3887, which removes the requirement for a physician referral every 30 days for continued physical therapy, drew the most discussion. The sponsor said therapists would refer patients back to a physician if treatment was not helping or was outside their scope, while a member raised concerns about delayed diagnosis and suggested adding a timeline; the sponsor said he would be open to further discussion. The bill passed 4-1. House Bill 4430 extended tort claims protection to certain state-employed providers who work for entities such as FQHCs, and House Bill 4431 did the same for nurse practitioners working for state agencies; both passed 5-0. Later, House Bill 2964 changed medical-record copying language from “shall be charged” to “may be charged,” giving facilities discretion on whether to charge patients for copies of their records; it passed 5-0. Finally, House Bill 3834 was heard for research funding on ibogaine therapy for PTSD and related conditions among veterans, firefighters, and police officers. The sponsor said the goal was to allow Oklahoma research, not to remove the substance from controlled status, and a witness described the treatment as a monitored oral session used in Mexico and supported by some studies. The bill passed 5-0, and the chair adjourned the meeting, noting the laid-over bills would likely be heard the following week.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Elections Apr 30th, 2025

Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • Comments are open until the end. Of our hearing and are posted upon adjournment.
  • that other counties might do it different ways, but you can have a joint primary. a contracted primary
  • or a non-contracted primary.
  • Or they can go to the polls directly because the polls stay open until 7 p.m.
  • That the person is a primary caretaker. Expanding curbside voting is really not the answer.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Elections Apr 30th, 2025

Elections

Transcript Highlights:
  • I mean, in short, right now, everyone pays to put on our primaries.
  • Third parties don't have primaries.
  • Well, but it also goes locally and helps you put on the primary.
  • Republicans and Democrats pay their fees to the party, and then a primary is held.
  • think of our primaries.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Members, we can discuss questions, and then we'll open up with public testimony.
  • So it kind of opens the door up to keep them engaged. Yeah.
  • The floor is now open for testimony on committee substitute for Senate Bills 1871, 1872, 1924, 1873,
  • We're open to help. We want the help. So if we can designate more, that's fine.
  • So we would be open to more campus behavior coordinators.
Summary: The committee heard a series of school safety and discipline bills, beginning with SB 870, which would codify an attorney general opinion allowing local school boards to decide whether school marshals may openly carry, conceal carry, or store a firearm in a secure safe on campus. The bill was laid out with no public testimony and left pending. The chair then moved to a combined discussion of SB 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, and 1924, all focused on school discipline, teacher authority, and student safety. Senators Perry and Creighton described the package as a response to rising classroom disruptions, assaults on teachers, and concerns that districts lack effective tools to maintain order. SB 1871 would expand teacher removal authority, require return-to-class plans before a student removed for certain conduct can return, make some serious offenses mandatory for placement in juvenile justice settings, and provide telehealth mental health services through a consortium. SB 1872 would require expulsion to a JJAEP for assaults on teachers or school volunteers and extend certain expulsion-eligible conduct to off-campus offenses. SB 1873 would restore the prior understanding that in-school suspension is not subject to a three-day limit. SB 1874 would grant teachers immunity from disciplinary action for reporting discipline violations or acting in compliance with Chapter 37. SB 1924 would restore authority for local police and school district police to issue Class C citations for school offenses and require criminal referrals for students posing an imminent threat or assaulting a teacher, with a substitute clarifying referral rules when a citation has already been issued. The committee adopted the substitutes for the bills and moved them forward. Invited witnesses from teacher and administrator groups largely supported the overall goal of stronger discipline and safer classrooms, while asking for refinements. The Texas Classroom Teachers Association testified that teachers need more autonomy to remove disruptive or violent students and that classroom removals should not mean removal from learning. Superintendents from San Angelo, Grandview, and Wiley ISDs supported the bills’ emphasis on safety, expanded ISS flexibility, mandatory placement for serious offenses, and telehealth mental health services, but asked for more local control, flexibility for Districts of Innovation, more than one campus behavior coordinator in large districts, clearer timelines for return-to-class plans, and more precise definitions for disruptive conduct. Several witnesses stressed that teacher retention and student learning are being harmed by current discipline problems, while some members raised concerns about vague standards and the risk of overuse or public humiliation through citations and removals.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • We'll open the floor for public testimony on Senate Bill 870. Thank you very much, everybody.
  • Members, we can discuss questions, and then we'll open up with public testimony.
  • I don't think this opens the door to a lot of the obvious, but reasonable suspicion.
  • So, absolutely, we're open to help. We want the help, so if we can designate more, that's fine.
  • So we would be open to more campus behavior coordinators.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

EEP Public Hearing - Tue Mar 24, 2026 @ 9:00 AM HST

Energy & Environmental Protection

Transcript Highlights:
  • Hawaii Primary Care Association in support. Wala Health Center in support.
  • I'm with the Hawaii Primary Care Association.
  • So we thank the committee and the legislature for being open to ideas for how we can make this happen
  • </c><01:00:12.960><c> We</c><01:00:13.200><c> did</c> Hawaii Primary Care Association.
  • We did Hawaii Primary Care Association.
Bills: SB3253, SB3154, SB3254
Summary: The committee on Energy and Environmental Protection heard a long series of resolutions focused largely on waste reduction, energy planning, and environmental protection. Early measures included HR 12/HCR 10 on a permanent landfill host benefits program for Honolulu, HCR 148/HCR 157 on a demolition waste reduction working group, and HR 184/HCR 194 on a mattress stewardship program working group. Testimony on these waste-related measures was generally supportive from environmental groups and some individuals, while the Department of Health supported the mattress stewardship proposal. The Department of Health also commented that a proposed study on recyclable/biodegradable/compostable labeling was very broad and would require additional resources to carry out effectively. The committee then took up several energy-related resolutions. HR 192/HCR 202 would create a task force on Hawaii’s future energy pathways, and HR 194/HCR 204 would ask the Public Utilities Commission to conduct a comprehensive analysis of cost reductions and financial risk. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Hawaii State Energy Office, and the PUC offered support or comments on these measures, with environmental and industry groups also submitting testimony. Members questioned the Energy Office and PUC at length about errors in prior analyses, competitive bidding, and whether utility proposals could proceed through waiver processes; the PUC said any proposal would still be reviewed and that it generally prefers competitive bidding, while the Energy Office said some issues were being characterized differently and would follow up on waiver standards. Additional measures addressed data centers, liquefied natural gas, and utility oversight. HR 196/HCR 206 would convene a working group on the impacts of large data centers, and HR 197/HCR 207 would require conditions before the PUC approves LNG-related costs; testimony on LNG was split, with supporters urging caution and opponents arguing LNG should not be pursued. HR 193/HCR 2003 sought a written status update on implementation of the Hawaii Electric Reliability Administrator, and HR 191/HCR 201 and HR 33/HCR 33 dealt with sewage and wastewater issues, both drawing support from environmental and community groups. The committee also heard strong support for HR 141/HCR 149 on Red Hill remediation meetings and HR 190/HCR 200 on reassessing military PFAS cleanup decisions; the Board of Water Supply testified in support and described ongoing PFAS testing and concerns beyond Red Hill. The transcript ends as the committee moved into decision-making, with the chair indicating a recommendation to pass HR 12/HCR 10.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security Feb 2nd, 2026

Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security

Bills: S0502, S1182, S1514
Summary: The Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security met with a quorum present and took up two bills. Senator Burgess presented SB 1514, a public records measure tied to Space Florida that exempts Board of Space Florida meetings from public records requirements when trade secrets are discussed. He said the exemption was needed to protect sensitive business information and support Space Florida’s mission. The bill drew no questions or debate, and it was reported favorably by a unanimous roll call vote. The committee then considered CS for SB 502, sponsored by Senator Wright, which would provide concurrent state and federal legislative jurisdiction over certain juvenile offenses on U.S. military installations in Florida when federal jurisdiction is waived and the conduct is also a state crime. Senator Wright argued the change would allow juveniles to be handled in the state juvenile justice system rather than federal court, which he said is better suited for rehabilitation. The bill also had no questions or debate and was reported favorably by unanimous vote. After the bills, the committee recognized representatives from a Pasco County veterans wellness group and their therapy dog, Grit, for their work with veterans. The committee then adjourned without objection.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Delivery of Government Efficiency Apr 9th, 2025

Delivery of Government Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:
  • We would hope that they would comply with the Open Meetings Act.
  • I'm here to offer the support of the open source ecosystem and open source people who are eager to help
  • I was going to see if I needed to send an open record request.
  • In our open records department that supports open.
  • The fact that you can go to Open Text, that particular phone number, 1-877-OPEN-TEXT. and you can talk
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Mar 26th, 2025

Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • I haven't opened that, and I just try to demonstrate he's a great talent. In the skill.
  • This opens... That up for any employer, and the bill is very specific.
  • But what this opens the door for is for other industries that are not construction-related.
  • I mean, that is a typical means of communication now, so I would be open to that.
  • And I don't know what the definition is in the code as far as a gate or a fence, but if it's an open
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Public Education May 20th, 2025

Public Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • Texas school districts and open enrollment charter schools. Mr.
  • With that, I reserve the right to close, and I'm open for any questions.
  • the law by encouraging their staff members to vote for certain political candidates in the March primary
  • an independent school district. ...to host forums for a candidate for an elected office during the primary
  • system, reflect our community standards, remain age-appropriate, and respect the roles of parents. primary