Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate adopted a strike-everything amendment creating a new crime of interfering with a religious
• service or religious activity and outlined the manner in which a person violated this new crime.

Summary: The caucus reviewed several bills on its calendar, mostly focused on Senate amendments and whether sponsors intended to concur. HB 2114 would alter Motorcycle Safety Fund distributions and motorcycle registration rules, including a Senate change requiring at least one registered owner to be licensed in Arizona; the sponsor intended to concur. HB 2729 would continue several boards and agencies, including the Board of Nursing, Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners, Board of Physician Assistance, Department of Economic Security, and Board of Pharmacy; the sponsor also intended to concur. Members discussed two agriculture property inspection bills, HB 2104 and HB 2105. HB 2104 would change rules for agricultural property classification and inspections, while HB 2105 would add notice and reporting requirements for inspections; both had Senate amendments that changed inspection timing and exemptions. Some members raised concerns about county assessors’ workload, opposition from county organizations, and possible inequities and insurance or disaster-related consequences for agricultural property owners. HB 2477, the Arizona Education Savings Plan bill, drew the most discussion. The Senate amendment combined the 529-related provisions with several treasurer-related restrictions and investment rules, and members questioned the policy implications of allowing 529 funds to roll into Roth IRAs. HB 4117 would create or expand criminal penalties for interfering with religious worship, and some members expressed concern about civil liberties and equality issues, while the sponsor intended to concur. HB 2311 would require AI service disclosures to minors and, after substantial Senate amendments, to all account holders in some cases; members asked about effects on schools and government systems, and some noted concerns about the expanded scope and AG enforcement limits. The caucus also heard SCR 1004, which would prohibit photo enforcement traffic programs after December 31 subject to voter approval, though existing programs could continue under certain conditions; law enforcement concerns were noted. SB 1110 would establish a home confinement and electronic monitoring program in the Department of Corrections. SB 1618 would revise the Military Affairs Commission’s membership and duties, but one member objected to adding defense-industry representation and warned about military-industrial-complex influence. The meeting ended with the chair noting that only the bills that had gone through rules were on the agenda and adjourned the caucus.

Transcript Highlights:

• necessarily have to be, you know, physical in that sense, but that, you know, it's a severe enough crime
• ...physical in that sense, but that, you know, it's a severe enough crime.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Commission still handles licensing, ethics, and discipline, and law enforcement still handles crimes
• And law enforcement still handles crimes.

Summary: The committee heard several RS introductions related to education and school funding. Representative Harris introduced RS 33225, described as the identical bill from last year’s accountability and spending measure, and after brief discussion about vouchers versus tax credits and accountability for state funds, the committee voted to introduce it. Representative Heather Scott introduced RS 33298, which would require the Professional Standards Commission to report any allegations involving suspected criminal behavior to law enforcement; the committee approved introduction. Representative Galaviz presented RS 3309C2, aimed at preventing property tax increases by allowing school districts to use certain building maintenance funds for lease purchases instead of forcing taxpayers into new bonds for construction or deferred maintenance. The committee moved to introduce it, with a request for additional information later on how the proposal would affect small versus large districts. Representative Tanner then brought RS 32889, a bill to have the State Board of Education aggregate and report data on the costs of educating children of foreign aliens. Members raised questions about legal status categories, charter schools, privacy, and whether the proposal created an unfunded mandate. The sponsor agreed to strike a sentence in the statement of purpose, and the motion to introduce the RS with that amendment and to add charter schools to the reporting language passed. Representative Hawkins presented RS 32826, a proposed constitutional amendment on parental rights that would replace the compulsory education language with a statement that the right to educate children without government regulation outside public schools shall not be infringed. Members supported the measure, and the committee voted to introduce it. Afterward, there was a procedural dispute over whether the earlier amended motion on RS 32889 had been a vote to introduce the RS or only to approve clarifying language, but the chair ruled the matter closed and the committee moved on.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Commission still handles licensing, ethics, and discipline, and law enforcement still handles crimes
• So the change is very simple. ...and law enforcement still handles crimes.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And what this bill does is just make it a crime to hack into that, and it's very simple to do that.
• So that's all it does, is make it a crime that way.

Summary: The Public Safety Committee met and heard several House bills, most of them receiving due pass recommendations. Representative Banning presented HB 2979, which would allow the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to reduce speed limits on four-lane highways near school zones when the center line is within 150 yards of a school zone; it passed unanimously. He also presented HB 2980, which lets DMV staff accept a physical insurance card during a short window after coverage is purchased instead of waiting for emailed/faxed verification, while still checking the insurance database; it passed 7-0 after questions about fraud prevention and the role of DMV discretion. Representative Dempsey presented HB 3662, reducing the enforcement radius around fixed weigh stations from seven highway miles to five, arguing it would keep enforcement focused on the scales and not rural roads; it passed 5-2. Representative Ford’s HB 4105 was laid over, while HB 4107 passed unanimously and would make it a crime to hack outdoor warning sirens or their PA systems. Representative Kelly’s HB 382 passed unanimously to bar firefighters on the sex offender registry from employment, and HB 383 passed unanimously to make county burn bans easier to declare using National Weather Service red flag warnings. Representative Kerr’s HB 2997 passed to adjust fines for used motor vehicle dealers and increase FTEs in self-regulated divisions. Representative Kelly also presented HB 355, requiring CLEET directors to be CLEET-certified officers; it passed unanimously after discussion about director pay. Finally, HB 2159, a DOC request bill to add omitted prisons back into a prior transportation-related statute, also passed unanimously. The committee then adjourned after completing its business.

Transcript Highlights:

• 521, by the Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee, relating to criminal history records and crime
• 521, by the Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee, relating to criminal history records and crime

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to be posted at or near a voting location or a county registrar's office without authorization is a crime
• The existing crime was originally put in place by this legislative body in 1980 after the Republican

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Emergencies crimes do pass as amended to strike felony liability for the false impersonation.
• SB 398 Umberg, Election-Related Crimes. Do pass out on an A-roll call. SB 645 Umberg, Civil Juries.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Legislation making it a crime to provide hemp-derived products to children under 21, and legislation
• Legislation that strengthens the Attorney General's authority to investigate and prosecute state election crimes

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Commission of Licensing and Regulation, CCLR, can serve if they have ever been convicted of a felony or any crime
• TDLR's Financial Crimes Intelligence Center will also have the discretion to identify and respond to

Bills: HB668, HB677, HB766, HB3133, SB3070

Keywords: HB 668, Texas, handgun license, license to carry, LTC, concealed carry, open carry, firearm permit, gun license renewal, public safety, Department of Public Safety, DPS, Government Code Section 411.185, renewal fee, handgun permit, Second Amendment, carry permit, firearms regulation, HB 677, Texas Election Code

Summary: The committee met to hear several bills, beginning with House Bill 766, which would require precinct chair applicants to provide an email address, phone number, or both on their applications while keeping that contact information confidential. No one testified for or against the bill, and it was left pending. House Bill 677, a companion to a previously approved Senate bill, would bar county election administrators from simultaneously holding another office or position appointed by an elected official; it also drew no public testimony and was left pending. Members then heard House Bill 3133, which would add explicit deepfake material to the list of content social media platforms must handle through complaint systems, including prompt acknowledgment, investigation, and status updates. Senators discussed concerns about how platforms would verify whether reported content was actually a deepfake, and the sponsor indicated the bill may be held pending while federal law on the subject is reviewed. House Bill 668 would create a one-year grace period for renewing an expired Texas handgun license to carry, codifying an existing DPS practice; it also received no testimony and was left pending. The committee spent the most time on Senate Bill 3070, a major overhaul of the Texas Lottery system. The bill would move oversight from the Lottery Commission to TDLR, dissolve the commission, impose new restrictions on ticket sales and internet play, create a lottery advisory committee, increase transparency and audit requirements, and include a sunset review that could lead to abolishing the lottery if not continued by 2027. The author described the bill as a response to alleged misconduct and illegal practices by the commission, while a witness from the Christian Life Commission testified in favor, supporting changes to prize anonymity and other lottery restrictions. After testimony, the bill was left pending, and the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Like being a criminal database to link up with a crime or something.
• To the judges that they shall take this into consideration, but not crimes that I'm aware of. Okay.

Bills: HB2646, HB3941, HB5153, HB5155, HB5394, HB 1106, HB426, HB4529, HB3984, HB4273, HB 1097, HB3940, HB1941, HB4377, HB3153

Keywords: child care, task force, high-quality care, affordability, prekindergarten partnerships, foster care, transitional living, Medicaid reform, youth assistance, independent living, services for youth, employment training, educational support, mental health services, health care, public health, child health program, reimbursement, local health entities, maternal health

Transcript Highlights:

• Eric DeCompos with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, waving in support.
• Eric DeCompos with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, waving in support.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Finance and Tax met and first considered CS for SB 1290, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles agency package. The bill would align Florida law with IFTA and federal motor carrier rules, raise the crash-reporting damage threshold from $500 to $2,000, define “economically disadvantaged area,” update registration and email-notice procedures, and revise the definition of tank vehicles. An amendment was adopted to allow nonprofits to perform VIN inspections under an MOU and to create a DV-embossed specialty plate option for eligible disabled veterans. The bill, as amended, was reported favorably. The committee then passed SB 1292, which exempts certain email addresses collected by DHSMV for notification purposes from public records disclosure. The committee also considered two flood-resiliency measures by Senator DeSantis/DeSigley. SJR 174 would amend the Florida Constitution to allow the Legislature to exclude from assessed value improvements made to mitigate flood damage, with the proposed amendment to appear on the 2026 ballot. SB 176 provided the implementing details, including eligibility tied to flood-risk areas or prior flood damage, square-footage limits for rebuilt or elevated homesteads, and documentation requirements for property appraisers. Members asked about how rebuilding and square-footage caps would work, and the sponsor explained the intent was to encourage elevation and resiliency without allowing major expansion. A technical amendment was adopted to SB 176, and both measures were reported favorably. After the bills, staff director Azar Khan gave a brief presentation on the latest General Revenue conference results, noting collections were running ahead of forecast and explaining the main forecast adjustments, including increases in sales tax and investment earnings and a reduction in corporate income tax projections. No questions were raised on the presentation. The committee then noted that additional bills were still moving through earlier committees, invited members to follow up with staff, and adjourned without any recorded votes beyond the committee actions on the bills and amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• So anyway, Senate Bill 18 is dealing with the crime of swatting.
• form of violence and intimidation that can leave a lasting emotional scar for those that commit such crimes

Transcript Highlights:

• Item 17 is request to delete rider, excuse me, 36, which is crime laboratory cost containment, um, which
• Uh, the last one is item 18 is to revised writer 37, Crime Laboratory Services to remove, uh, to remove

Transcript Highlights:

• An act relating to crime, removing the time limitation for commencing prosecution of human trafficking
• trafficking, and adding victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children to the Victims of Crime

Transcript Highlights:

• and we found out that Lee had missed the renewal deadline for MassHealth, and he doesn't have a computer
• And he doesn't have a computer or a cell phone. And we called. We tried to find it out.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hybrid public hearing with testimony on a wide range of labor, workforce, unemployment insurance, apprenticeship, disability services, farm labor, hospital staffing, and workplace harassment bills. Chairs Jake Oliveira and Paul McMurtry outlined hearing procedures, limited testimony to two minutes, and noted written testimony would be accepted after the hearing. Committee members and staff were introduced throughout the session as witnesses arrived in person or remotely. A major portion of the hearing focused on unemployment insurance legislation. Greater Boston Legal Services, the AFL-CIO, and Rep. Joan Meschino supported bills to adjust UI eligibility for workers with fluctuating schedules and to streamline waivers and write-offs for non-fault overpayments, arguing the current system unfairly denies benefits or burdens workers who were not at fault. They also backed bills calling for more oversight and resources for the Division of Unemployment Assistance, citing persistent delays in benefit payments. NFIB opposed the UI changes, warning that the trust fund is headed toward insolvency and arguing the bills would worsen the system’s finances. Rep. Meschino and committee members emphasized that the proposals were meant to protect good-faith claimants and did not apply to fraud. Another large set of bills addressed wages, workforce development, and working conditions. Testimony supported raising and modernizing direct care wages to address severe staffing shortages in human services and disability services, with advocates from the Massachusetts Developmental Disability Council, The Arc of Massachusetts, parents of adults with disabilities, and a direct care worker describing how low pay and turnover harm people needing support. The committee also heard support for apprenticeship-related bills from the AFL-CIO and the Carpenters, while Associated Builders and Contractors opposed mandatory apprenticeship ratios and urged changes to align them with licensing laws. Farm worker advocates supported a bill to raise farm labor standards, including minimum wage, paid breaks, and paid time off, while the Farm Bureau opposed parts of it beyond the minimum wage increase. The hearing also featured testimony on workplace harassment training, overtime protections, hospital mandatory overtime, suicide prevention signage on construction sites, and a proposal to update the Massachusetts Medical Society’s mission language from “citizens” to “people.” Labor groups, educators, and compliance trainers strongly supported mandatory annual sexual harassment training, saying it would improve workplace culture and reduce harm. SEIU 1199 supported extending the hospital nurse mandatory overtime ban to the broader hospital workforce. Witnesses on the suicide prevention bill described personal losses in construction and recovery work and urged posting 988 information on job sites. The committee took no votes during the hearing; witnesses repeatedly asked for favorable reports, and members asked follow-up questions on UI calculations, apprenticeship ratios, small-business impacts, and emergency exceptions for hospital staffing.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, I could remember the days where we didn't have computers and before you know it, now they're
• I mean, if you look in the past, the original Apple computer was this big, you know, and now we can have

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Most merchants are like me, who are tied to our software, so what will work with our computer software
• Maybe you walked away from the computer for a bit. Drew, can you hear me?

Summary: The commission met to hear testimony on the future of credit card payments and swipe fees, with a focus on impacts to small businesses, especially restaurants and retailers. Members and witnesses discussed interchange fees, processing fees, chargebacks, fraud risk, rewards programs, and the growing use of card-not-present and digital wallet transactions. Several witnesses urged the commission to support legislation that would prohibit fees on the tax and tip portions of transactions and allow businesses to pass credit card fees on to customers if they choose, while others warned that state regulation of interchange could reduce fraud protections and harm consumer rewards programs. Small business owners and trade groups described rising costs and thin margins, saying card fees are now among their largest expenses and are often charged on money that is merely passing through the business, such as sales tax and gratuities. Restaurant representatives said the current system shifts fraud and chargeback losses onto merchants, with little ability to negotiate rates or recover disputed funds, and argued that transparency and fee relief would help keep independent businesses open. Retailers gave similar testimony, citing rising swipe fees, complex statements, and the burden of online and phone transactions. A representative from the airline industry opposed interchange reform, arguing that airline credit card rewards are popular with consumers and support travel and jobs in Massachusetts. Credit union representatives cautioned that state-level interchange limits could weaken fraud prevention and force higher rates or reduced services, while the National Restaurant Association and a payments-policy attorney countered that banks and networks already operate under fee caps in other contexts and that interchange rates are fixed rather than competitive. Commission members asked questions about how chargebacks work, how fees are broken down, whether businesses can negotiate with processors or POS providers, and how consumer behavior has shifted toward cards, online ordering, and delivery since the pandemic. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we say negotiating with the supplier, is that just a couple of computer check boxes and filters and
• I’ve got real concern about, you know, my grandma—no computer.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Having attended both PSC and UWF with a perfect GPA in software design and development, computer science
• , and cybersecurity, Daniel Lepa... ...software design and development, computer science, and cybersecurity

Summary: The committee on Higher Education Appropriations heard and favorably reported two bills: SB 1570, which revives the former Project Leo program to help locate missing persons with special needs through voluntary tracking devices and coordination with sheriff’s offices, and CS/SB 1376, which creates a grant program to support genetic counseling education in response to a statewide shortage of genetic counselors. Both bills drew supportive comments, with the genetic counseling bill also receiving public support from a university representative. The committee then took up a large slate of confirmations. It first approved a block of reappointments to various university and college boards of trustees, including institutions such as UWF, Broward College, Chipola College, FIU, Pasco-Hernando, Polk State, St. Petersburg College, Valencia, FAMU, FAU, UCF, FSU, New College, UNF, USF, and Broward College. It then heard from numerous new appointees and some requested reappointments, many of whom emphasized workforce training, nursing, military and veteran support, dual enrollment, and local economic development as priorities for their institutions. Several nominees highlighted their personal ties to the schools and communities they would serve, including appointees to Pensacola State, Polk State, St. Petersburg College, UNF, UWF, FIU, the College of the Florida Keys, Valencia College, and Chipola College. Committee members repeatedly asked about nursing NCLEX pass rates, workforce alignment, and institutional growth. One reappointment, Thomas Zachary Smith to the UWF board, was pulled from the block for separate questioning about his past public comments and his role in Project 2025; he said he would serve in his personal capacity and treat all students equally. The committee also separately heard from a Florida Poly reappointment, I. Shapiro, who was questioned about prior remarks regarding race and Supreme Court nominations, and from a New College reappointment, Mark Bowerlaine, who described campus improvements and enrollment growth. The meeting ended amid ongoing confirmation processing and separate votes on the remaining nominees.