Transcript Highlights:

• distributed ledger technologies, including blockchain, artificial intelligence, and other technological developments
• Members, SB 1172, which is titled Business Development Incentives for Veterans and Military Spouses,
• we're legislating this type of user-generated content on a covered platform, on a website, on a mobile app
• This type of user-generated content on a covered platform, on a website, on a mobile app.
• Those frequently come with, in the finance community, they come in the research and development community

Summary: The Committee on Commerce and Tourism took up several measures, beginning with SB 1666, which would adopt Florida’s version of UCC Article 12 to address commercial transactions involving digital assets such as cryptocurrency, smart contracts, blockchain, and NFTs. The committee adopted a technical amendment and then reported the bill favorably. It also approved CS/SB 480, a proposal to create affordable health coverage options for farmers and ranchers through a nonprofit agricultural organization model; the bill drew significant questions about preexisting conditions, ACA coverage, costs, and whether the plans would function like insurance, but it was ultimately reported favorably despite opposition from some members and outside groups. The committee then unanimously advanced CS/SB 1172, which expands business development incentives for veterans and military spouses, including procurement preferences, fee waivers, tax exemptions, and an entrepreneurship program; an amendment added military-spouse hiring preferences and protections for private employers that adopt them voluntarily. The committee also approved CS/SB 1400, a bill aimed at non-consensual AI-generated sexual deepfakes. The measure requires covered platforms to provide a removal process, post clear notice of that process, and remove identified content within 24 to 48 hours, with liability under the Florida Unfair Trade and Deceptive Practices Act for noncompliance; an amendment carved out internet service providers from liability. Members raised concerns about repeat uploads and the meaning of “reasonable efforts,” but the bill was reported favorably. The committee then adopted SM 1488, a memorial urging Congress to create a sovereign wealth fund, despite testimony opposing it as unnecessary and constitutionally questionable. It also passed SB 1252, which would create a centralized statewide system for sharing pawn and secondhand dealer data among law enforcement agencies; the sponsor said the first step would be a $250,000 feasibility study, and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered SB 922, which revises Florida’s restrictive covenant laws by creating a streamlined process for certain non-compete and garden leave agreements involving employees with access to sensitive information and higher wages. The bill drew extensive debate over worker mobility, global scope, and whether it would strengthen employer leverage too much; after a technical amendment, it was reported favorably. The last major item was SB 1776, a Florida Whistleblowers Act revision that adds a notice-to-cure requirement, narrows retaliation and employer definitions, and limits claims where another statutory remedy exists. Members and public speakers raised concerns that it could make whistleblower claims harder to bring and give employers time to destroy evidence, but the bill was amended and then reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• the cities that are really to make sure the cities that are really looking at this right now um would app
• looking at this right now um would app looking at this right now um would app would it wasn't it meant
• um when you're know sometimes in the um when you're know sometimes in the um when you're trying to develop
• something, you may not trying to develop something, you may not trying to develop something, you may

Bills: HB258, HB324, HB333, SB270, HB258, HB324, HB333, SB270

Keywords: primary election, election calendar, off-presidential year, May primary, second Tuesday in May, fourth Tuesday in May, runoff primary, special primary, presidential primary, election administration, candidate filing, ballot access, political parties, county election officials, state election law, Alabama elections, sheriffs, term of office, Alabama law, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• schemes rely upon patiently developing schemes rely upon patiently developing trust,<00:26:33.760
• I'm going to take the conversation offline, but you know, Flips app and and purchase Flips app and and
• However, the testing market in Minnesota is still developing.
• However, the testing market in Minnesota is still developing.
• The testing market in Minnesota is still developing.

Bills: HF3642, HF2700, HF3615

Keywords: virtual currency, kiosks, prohibition, customer payouts, cryptocurrency regulation, consumer privacy, data privacy, health data, sensitive data, Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act, personal data, data broker, targeted advertising, geofencing, location tracking, health care privacy, patient privacy, consent, minor privacy, children's privacy

Summary: The Commerce Finance and Policy Committee met on House File 3642, which would prohibit virtual currency kiosks in Minnesota. The bill was laid over, and the committee adopted a DE1 author’s amendment. Chair Kaggel and Representative Perryman described the measure as a response to widespread scams using crypto kiosks, especially against older adults and other vulnerable people, and said they would continue working with the Department of Commerce and other stakeholders. Testimony from law enforcement and advocates strongly supported the ban. A St. Cloud police sergeant and a Woodbury detective described cases in which victims lost large sums, said the current safeguards and refund rules are being bypassed, and argued that the kiosks are difficult to investigate because funds move quickly and often overseas. An AARP Minnesota volunteer also supported the bill, saying kiosks are a preferred tool for scammers and that existing protections have not kept pace with the problem. The Department of Commerce said it strongly supports the bill and reported that it has received 120 complaints over three years involving nearly $1 million in reported losses, with 2025 the worst year so far. The main opposition came from CoinFlip’s general counsel, who argued that the problem is fraud generally, not kiosks themselves, and said Minnesota already has consumer protections, including refunds for eligible victims. He urged stronger regulation rather than a ban, citing blockchain analytics, hold periods, and 24-hour customer service as alternatives. Committee members then asked questions about how long kiosks have operated in Minnesota, how many there are, who owns them, and the scale of losses; Commerce said there are hundreds statewide, operated by a variety of companies, and that reported losses are likely undercounts.

Transcript Highlights:

• . apps. apps.
• And sometimes trail hiking uh app.
• other more intensive uses i.e. other more intensive uses i.e. development. development. development
• <03:28:03.040> project application or a development project application or a development project
• Um so pertaining to this development.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Almost all of those parcels now are either developed or In by a private developer or are under a development
• agreement to be developed for things like affordable housing.
• In White Rock, we also have the developer of Mirador funded.
• That gives you a lot of capacity for future development. I really enjoyed your presentation.
• , and because of urban development.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 767 is a pro-economic development bill that's specifically targeted to small businesses.
• <00:18:53.200> bill<00:18:53.880> that's<00:18:54.120> specifically development
• Yes, they developed the policy. And how long has that policy been in place? Just recently.
• >> Yes, they developed the policy. >> Yes, they developed the policy.
• The first um Maya App, from one.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Friday, March 6, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation by Pastor Jermaine Turner, followed by welcoming remarks for visiting students and a quorum call confirming the chamber was in session. The body then moved through introductions and began considering bills and messages, including a supplemental budget message from the Governor that was journalized and referred to Budget and Taxation for incorporation into the FY27 budget. The chamber also handled several committee reports and amendments, with multiple measures ordered printed for third reading after no objections. Among the notable committee actions, the Senate adopted amendments and advanced Senate Bill 538 on Baltimore City raffles for organizations affiliated with professional baseball and football teams, Senate Bill 108 on water resources and wetlands enforcement, Senate Bill 328 on property tax credits for disabled or fallen public safety and judicial officers, Senate Bill 587 funding the Maryland Patient Safety Center Fund, Senate Bill 765 on property tax sales heir protection and tax credits, and Senate Bill 767 on property tax credits for commercial buildings rented to small businesses. The chamber also adopted favorable reports for Senate Bill 503 on the Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program and Senate Bill 519 on delaying and studying the Earned Income Tax Credit Assistance Program. The Senate then took up third-reading votes on a series of bills, passing measures including Senate Bills 540, 544, 578, 581, 634, 638, 852, 897, 69, 177, 241, 323, 776, and 439. The final bill, Senate Bill 439 on employment discrimination related to fire and rescue public safety employees’ use of medical cannabis, prompted extended discussion about off-duty cannabis use, impairment, and the difference between prescribed opioids and medical cannabis recommendations. The bill sponsor and other senators debated whether cannabis can be prescribed, the role of physicians, and the lack of a measurable standard for impairment, but the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm pretty sure it's an off-the-shelf app you can get for, like, very little money.
• c><00:37:36.319> a<00:37:36.440> Caribou<00:37:36.880> Coffee<00:37:37.200> app
• <00:37:37.440> and<00:37:37.760> when and I have a Caribou Coffee app and when and
• I have a Caribou Coffee app and when I'm<00:37:38.160> driving<00:37:38.560> across<00:
• Chair and asked Director Jan whether DVS had fast-developed MNLARS for them, if he is correct.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Gas Buddy app. Uh, I don't know. Maybe the stations pay for it somehow.
• <02:17:18.800> an<02:17:19.040> app You know, uh, there's a app an app You know, uh
• , there's a app an app called<02:17:19.439> Gas<02:17:19.760> Buddy<02:17:20.319> that
• The<02:17:32.160> Gas<02:17:32.399> Buddy<02:17:32.719> app.
• The Gas Buddy app. Uh, I don't know. The Gas Buddy app. Uh, I don't know.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Commerce and Consumer Affairs on the current landscape of digital assets and related regulatory developments
• Commerce and Consumer Affairs on the current landscape of digital assets and related regulatory developments
• first decentralized hot storage network, designed for content streaming, AI inference, and real-time apps
• Shelby<00:36:09.599> uh<00:36:09.680> once<00:36:09.920> again real-time apps
• Uh Shelby uh once again real-time apps.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Hawaii State Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held an informational briefing on digital assets, blockchain, and related regulatory developments. Chair Jarrett Keohoko said the committee was focusing on national and state policy issues around digital assets, while leaving the separate issue of Bitcoin kiosks and fraud to the House Consumer Protection Committee, which had already noticed a similar briefing. No public testimony was taken; the session was for informational updates and member questions. Representatives from the Aptos Foundation, including JC Yun and Michael Cheng, gave a detailed presentation on blockchain basics and Aptos’s technology. They described blockchain as a tamper-resistant digital ledger, explained proof-of-work and proof-of-stake systems, and argued that proof-of-stake networks are faster, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly. They also emphasized smart contracts and potential uses beyond speculation, such as car titles, college transcripts, collectibles, digital IDs, real estate, and other tokenized assets. The presenters highlighted Aptos’s Hawaii connections and said the technology could help local residents and businesses participate in the digital economy. They cited adoption statistics, including billions of transactions on Aptos, tokenized money market funds from major financial firms, micro-lending applications, decentralized cloud infrastructure, and the rapid growth of stablecoins. They acknowledged concerns about scams and consumer protection, but argued that the answer is stronger regulation and education rather than avoiding the technology altogether.

Transcript Highlights:

• But he also has an app.
• And so when he was driving by some land, that app would highlight the land that we were driving by and
• That would be a great app to have. I don't have it. Representative Harbison, to inquire.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• including installers developers including installers developers Advocates<00:09:05.200> and
• through solar recycling in development through solar recycling in Minnesota<00:14:25.480> I<00
• I've been around watching these water wars for many years, and what happened when they were developed
• I've been around watching these water wars for many years, and what happened when they were developed
• I've been around watching these water wars for many years, and what happened when they were developed

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• contract between the restaurant and the agent, because whether it's a reservation entity, which is an app
• > uh<00:05:33.120> which<00:05:33.280> is<00:05:33.400> a<00:05:33.720> app
• <00:05:34.120> or<00:05:35.039> or<00:05:36.039> email ...which is an app or
• algorithmic price setting in Hawaii's rental market and requires the Department of the Attorney General to develop
• department of the Attorney<00:18:57.919> General<00:18:58.200> to<00:18:58.320> develop

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee held its first hearing of the 2025 session and reviewed several measures. SB 102 would restrict third-party restaurant reservation services from listing or selling reservations without a written agreement from the restaurant; the Attorney General recommended amendments to strengthen the bill against First Amendment and Contracts Clause challenges, and the Hawaii Restaurant Association strongly supported it, saying restaurants should control who represents them. The committee also heard SB 137 on electric utility mergers and acquisitions, with support from Ulupono Initiative and IBW Local 1260. Supporters said the bill would preserve state policy protections, including renewable energy and rate-making goals, and protect workers; IBW also suggested amendments, including a severability clause. The committee discussed a possible alternative approach from the PUC involving solicitation of bids from non-investor-owned utilities, and Ulupono said it would consider that idea but was concerned about preserving time for co-op formation. Members then heard SB 142, which would require insurers paying claims by check to send them by certified mail with restricted delivery and return receipt. The Insurance Division stood on its written testimony, while the Hawaiian Insurers Council, State Farm, NAMIC, and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association opposed the bill. A senator questioned whether the measure was too prescriptive and could create problems for claimants displaced by disasters; the response was that insurers and claimants usually remain in contact and that other payment methods may already be available depending on the carrier. SB 157 would ban algorithmic price setting in Hawaii’s rental market and require a public education program; the committee noted written testimony in support and comment, but no oral testimony was taken before moving on. SB 158 would create a state-owned bank implementation board within DCCA; DCCA’s financial institutions division, the Budget and Finance Department, and the Legislative Reference Bureau submitted comments, while the Hawaii Bankers Association opposed and the Hawaii Credit Union League commented. The committee also heard SB 318, which would require DCCA to adopt privacy rules for direct-to-consumer genetic testing and specify whether genetic information may be used for investigative genetic genealogy. The Office of Consumer Protection and Andrew Crossland opposed the bill, saying federal law and existing state protections already cover much of the area and that rulemaking would be a better way to address it; members raised concerns about federal changes and the need for state protections, but OCP said the bill was not the best approach. SB 332 would prohibit bundling foreclosed homes at public sale and delay finality of sales; L. Strong and written testimony supported it, citing Lahaina’s post-fire foreclosure risks and warning of investors profiting from the disaster. The final measure, SB 525, would require written notice and consent before mortuaries, cemeteries, or pre-need funeral authorities sell or recycle precious metals recovered after cremation. DCCA’s consumer protection and licensing divisions offered comments, while the Hawaii Funeral and Cemetery Association opposed the bill, saying it was surprised by the measure and was unaware of current consumer problems in the industry.

Transcript Highlights:

• libraries provide, the Twin Cities Metro libraries available to all of us with a library card, the app
• of us um with a library card, the um all of us um with a library card, the um the<00:26:54.480> app
• said that when you put something online, someone can download it, and there is software and other apps
• 00:37:34.240> software<00:37:34.560> and<00:37:34.800> other<00:37:34.960> apps
• <00:37:35.280> that, there's software and other apps that, there's software and other apps

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We've developed continuing education for health care providers. We've done this individually.
• We also carry out joint training professional development initiatives.
• We have academic research, product development research. and prevention.
• And it does take a long time to develop a drug, a long time.
• So it's academic research. and its product development.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• well as provide professional development well as provide professional development in<00:28:46.399
• ><01:02:57.920> strategies many students develop coping strategies many students develop coping
• It's not just a few apps per classroom. It's not just a few apps per school either.
• The skills are still developing.
• developed. that's not what we should do. developed. that's not what we should do.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Perpetrators often use social media platforms, online gaming sites, and messaging apps to target youth
• /c> platforms online gaming sites and platforms online gaming sites and messaging<00:25:02.240> apps
• Target<00:25:03.360> youth<00:25:04.360> posing<00:25:04.799> as messaging apps
• to Target youth posing as messaging apps to Target youth posing as peers<00:25:05.520> or<00:
• words as a mother, grandmother, human trafficking fellow, human rights advocate, a gender and youth development

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:05 Roll Call: 00:00:14 SB 26: 00:01:50 SB 64: 00:18:29 SB 73: 00:22:54, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee met with a quorum and heard three bills. Senate Bill 26, sponsored by Chair Storm, would protect parents and prospective parents with disabilities by barring disability alone from being the sole basis for denying an adoption petition or terminating parental rights. Testimony from Judge Marcus Vanover and Crystal Adams described the bill as a product of the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health and its work groups, cited Kentucky and national cases and federal ADA guidance, and said the bill would require consideration of supportive services, clearer documentation, retention of records, and conforming language changes. Senator Carroll asked how the bill would apply to a hypothetical adult child with special needs; witnesses said the bill is aimed at adoption and termination proceedings where the Cabinet is already involved, not proactive service requests. The committee approved SB 26 by a unanimous 7-0 vote and sent it to the floor with favorable expression. The committee next considered Senate Bill 64, also sponsored by Chair Storm, which would expand the definition of key infrastructure assets to include telecommunications services such as telephone lines and broadband and make damaging, tampering with, or rendering those services inoperable a Class D felony. Representatives from Charter/Spectrum and AT&T testified that copper theft and vandalism have increasingly damaged fiber and other facilities, citing more than 20 incidents in Kentucky in 2024 affecting over 30,000 customers and diverting resources from broadband expansion. The committee adopted a committee substitute and then passed SB 64 by a 7-0 vote with favorable expression. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 73, sponsored by Senator Julie Adams, which would create a felony offense for sexual extortion, allow victims or their representatives to bring civil actions, include the offense in Kentucky’s sex-crime definitions, and require school-based notification and education efforts along with resource information for students. Senator Adams and witness Lady T. Thompson described sextortion as a fast-growing online crime targeting minors, often through social media, gaming, and messaging apps, and argued that stronger penalties and prevention efforts are needed. The transcript cuts off before any committee action on SB 73.

Transcript Highlights:

• develop claims? develop claims?
• , they are freelance developers, they are freelance developers, construction<04:31:04.880> contractors
• <05:21:52.160> App-based<05:21:52.798> workers bringing this forward.
• App-based workers bringing this forward.
• benefits programs allow app-based benefits programs allow app-based workers<05:22:21.280> to<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee began with procedural announcements about report turnaround, amendment submission methods during split operations, a possible January 29 session, the governor’s State of the State on February 5, parking, cafeteria opening, and the plan to finish work by February 10. It then moved into executive session on HB 1123, which would require certain companies to post salary ranges on public job listings. Representative Granger moved ITL, arguing the bill would interfere with negotiations, especially for higher-level jobs, and raise compelled-speech concerns. Supporters, including Representatives Schultz, Sullivan, Cahill, Staub, and others, said salary ranges help applicants avoid wasted time and travel, improve transparency, and are already a common workplace disclosure. The committee voted 10-9 to ITL HB 1123. The committee next took up HB 177, concerning a definition of remote work in labor law. Representative Murphy moved ITL, saying the bill could burden employers, create vague obligations, duplicate existing protections, and potentially require intrusive compliance measures. Representative Sullivan described a proposed amendment that would narrow the bill to a definition of remote work and remove broader requirements, but the committee ultimately voted 11-9 to ITL HB 177. Members also noted that the amendment had not been fully circulated in time and that the issue might merit further review. Finally, the committee opened HB 1352, a workers’ compensation bill focused on repricing and payment practices. The sponsor withdrew an initial ITL motion and moved OTP after amendment review. Members discussed concerns raised at the hearing about delayed payments, third-party administrators, and the need for better accountability. Representative McKenzie’s amendment would define good faith, create a voluntary three-year dispute-resolution pilot, restore fines to prior levels, and add reporting/accountability requirements for carriers that miss the 30-day payment deadline. Several members supported the amendment as a way to help small businesses and providers, while others said repricing needed broader study through the workers’ compensation advisory council. The Department of Labor explained that the amendment would require carriers and related payers to report missed determinations to the department and would increase oversight of payment timeliness.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:08.319> available<00:08:08.720> to they also have this BCA app available to
• they also have this BCA app available to report<00:08:09.280> or<00:08:09.599> whatever
• for the sake of professional development.
• training and professional development training and professional development statutes.<01:02:00.160
• stakeholders in good faith to develop stakeholders in good faith to develop the<01:20:02.640>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker and members, AB 2071 requires the Department of Education to develop a plan to expand digital
• These apps, which we all use every day, have really altered traffic flow.
• These apps, which we all use every day, have really altered traffic flow.
• to their local needs. ...balance high rises while also tailoring the development to their local needs
• Young people's brains are still developing.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly convened in Sacramento, established a quorum, offered a prayer and pledge, and then moved through the daily file with several procedural motions, including moving AB 1566 to the inactive file and removing SCR 177 from the consent calendar. The chamber then took up a series of bills, mostly on third reading, with many measures described by authors as support bills and passing with little or no opposition. Among the early items, AB 2257 on county jail accountability was presented but the call was moved before a recorded result was announced in the excerpt; AB 2529 on claims against public agencies passed 41-2; AB 2689 on affordable housing management passed 49-0; AB 1722 on fish and wildlife passed 51-0; AB 2071 on digital wellness instruction passed 54-0; AB 1976 on pedestrian and bicycle safety passed 42-17; AB 2012 on manufactured home transport passed 57-0; AB 2139 on surplus land and an Inland Empire soccer project passed 58-1; AB 1548 creating a Monterey Bay stewardship authority passed after the call was moved; AB 1707 allowing online electrician license renewal passed 60-0; AB 2105 on navigation app impacts passed 44-14; and AB 2051 on coastal resiliency permitting passed 46-6. The floor also approved a number of other measures with broad bipartisan support, including AB 2074 on streamlined housing development in transit-rich downtowns (55-5), AB 2129 on Cal Fire firefighter compensation (57-1), AB 2279 on communications (16-0), AB 2282 allowing Del Puerto Health Care District to provide emergency care in rural Patterson-area communities (64-0), AB 2316 extending school facilities hardship relief to charter schools (59-0), AB 2337 adding theft by a peace officer under color of authority to serious misconduct (68-0), AB 2374 creating a state designation for AANHPI-serving institutions (47-14), AB 2464 on energy (67-0), AB 2537 on cannabis (62-0), AB 2562 requiring suicide prevention plans at alcohol and drug treatment facilities (62-0), AB 2667 on vape products (62-0), and AB 2727 raising the threshold for elderly parole review for violent sex offenses (66-0). AB 1958, which clarifies procedures under the California Racial Justice Act, was taken up later and the author said he would accept Senate amendments, but the excerpt cuts off before the final vote is shown. AB 2313, allowing customers with planned gas service line replacements to opt into electrification, drew debate over cost shifts and equity concerns before passing 41-21. The most extensive debate centered on AB 1709, which would set a minimum age of 16 for accounts on social media platforms using addictive features and create an e-safety commission. The author and supporters from both parties framed the bill as a child-safety measure responding to research on anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and other harms, while also emphasizing protections for vulnerable youth and the need for age verification and ongoing oversight. Several members raised concerns about preserving access for LGBTQ youth, isolated rural youth, and others who rely on online spaces, but said they trusted the author’s approach and the commission structure. The bill drew strong bipartisan support in floor speeches from members who described it as necessary to protect children from addictive platform design, and the excerpt ends amid that debate without showing the final vote on AB 1709.

Transcript Highlights:

• victim's trust is earned, the scammer asks for help. for money or suggests investing through a fake app
• We've heard a lot about that in our committee hearings to develop Chinese domestic military and intelligence
• How can we as policy makers support the development?
• Do the same thing in AI development.
• They didn't participate in developing the mold, in some cases at all.

Keywords: Chinese Communist Party, retirement security, investment risks, SEC enforcement, Bipartisan action

Summary: The meeting primarily addressed concerns regarding the impact of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on American investments and the financial security of retirees. The chair discussed legislation aimed at ensuring the protection of American investors against the risks posed by Chinese companies. There was a consensus among the members regarding the necessity to enforce existing policies that require compliance from foreign companies wishing to trade on American exchanges. The discussion included testimony from various stakeholders highlighting the urgent need to limit exposure to the CCP in retirement portfolios. Additionally, there were calls for increased accountability of regulatory bodies such as the SEC to better shield American investors from potential loss.