Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:45.920><c> who</c> part of the bill it says employees who part of the bill it says employees
• So it's not mandatory, just an option to help incentivize employees to not take a state employee parking
• all state employees and not only these Capitol employees, right?
• </c> an option to help incentivize employees an option to help incentivize employees to<00:04:50.240>
• all</c><00:05:06.160><c> state</c><00:05:06.600><c> employees</c> think this covers all state employees

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing of the Government Operations and Transportation, Culture and the Arts committees considered three bills. SB 1092 would establish a transportation demand management program for state employees, including a parking cash-out option. Testimony was largely in support, including from state planning, energy, labor, and several individuals, while committee members raised concerns about whether the program was mandatory and whether there was a full implementation plan. The bill’s proponents said it was voluntary and intended to reduce long parking waitlists by incentivizing employees to opt out of parking. The committees ultimately recommended SB 1092 be passed with amendments, and the measure was adopted in both committees. SB 1093 would create a parking demand management program and require DAGS to transition state employees from monthly parking to daily-rate parking. Testimony included strong opposition from most individuals and several agencies, with one supporter. A committee question focused on the loss of pre-tax payroll deductions under a daily-rate system, and the Deputy Attorney General explained that the current monthly arrangement allows deductions from gross pay, which would not work the same way with daily payments. Given the opposition and concerns, the committees recommended deferral indefinitely. SB 1121 would establish a procurement preference, beginning in 2027, for construction companies with electric vehicles. Testimony included comments from DAGS, the Department of Transportation, and others, with opposition noted from DOT. Committee members questioned charging infrastructure and battery disposal for electric vehicles used in construction. After discussion, the committees concluded it was in the best interest to defer the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• employees.
• So the question is if you have an employee who is treating someone very very, If you have an employee
• of another employee.
• We have a lot of government employees, right? We're all government employees.
• Our staff are government employees. If I treat Right? We're all government employees.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Summary: The committee took up several bills and one set of confirmations. SB 330, relating to disability provisions for firefighters, law enforcement, and correctional officers, was explained as clarifying the heart disease presumption and allowing transferred law enforcement officers to rely on a prior physical if the new agency fails to provide one; it was reported favorably. SB 526, a broad commercial construction bill, was amended with a title amendment and a delete-all amendment before being reported favorably. SB 1192 created a pilot program for callback queues at certain executive agencies to reduce hold times, and it was also reported favorably. SB 1078 established gubernatorial transition procedures, including liaisons, briefing materials, office space, and access to records; an amendment narrowed and reassigned some duties and increased penalties for improper disclosure, and the bill passed favorably. SB 7022 extended and updated a public records exemption for classroom examinations and assessment instruments through 2031, and it was reported favorably. SB 1250 removed the Florida Commission on Human Relations’ requirement to use registered mail for certain notices, allowing less expensive notice methods, and it passed favorably. SB 1698 allowed certain employer notices and posters to be posted electronically instead of physically, and it was reported favorably. The committee also recommended confirmation of 10 appointees to the Florida Commission on Human Relations and the State Retirement Commission. SB 1072 created an anti-Semitism task force within the Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights to review anti-Semitism in Florida, improve community relations, advise on law enforcement training, assess digital media literacy efforts, review hate crime statutes, and issue annual reports. The bill drew extensive public testimony, with many speakers opposing it on First Amendment, academic freedom, and equal-protection grounds and arguing it could chill criticism of Israel or be used selectively; supporters said it was needed to address rising anti-Semitism and that the state’s definition of anti-Semitism had already been adopted in statute. After debate, the bill was reported favorably. SB 862, as amended, set a $60,000 salary goal by 2030 for state correctional officers, probation officers, and institutional security specialists, with annual raises subject to appropriations; members questioned a separate provision allowing deployment of correctional officers during emergencies, including whether that could intersect with immigration enforcement, but the sponsor said he would follow up and that the bill was aimed at recruitment, retention, and workforce stability. The bill received support from law enforcement and corrections groups and was reported favorably. SB 1642, the Freedom in the Workplace Act, generated the most contentious discussion: it would bar certain pronoun-related requirements, prohibit mandatory training or activities related to sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression as a condition of employment, require sex on employment forms to reflect biological sex, and extend similar protections to public employees and contractors. Supporters framed it as protecting free speech, conscience, and against compelled speech; opponents argued it would authorize discrimination against transgender and nonbinary people, invite litigation, and harm workplace safety and inclusion. An amendment moved the bill into the chapter governing public employers and employees, and the bill was then reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill excludes employees that are supervisors, managers, or confidential employees, employees covered
• And we serve these farmers with about 100 full-time employees and about 200 to 250 seasonal employees
• Do any collective bargaining with their employees? Do I do any collective bargaining for employees?
• SB 5852 ensures due process for employers and employees.
• SB 5852 ensures due process for employers and employees.

Bills: SB6045, SB6188, SB6053, SB5852

Keywords: agriculture, collective bargaining, labor relations, public employment, agricultural employees, SB 6188, asbestos, asbestos training, asbestos certification, asbestos worker, asbestos supervisor, Department of Labor and Industries, L&I, rulemaking authority, occupational safety, workplace safety, hazardous materials, abatement, encapsulation, removal

Transcript Highlights:

• and the right notification for employees and the right for<00:25:37.960><c> employees</c><00:25:38.320
• </c> for when an employee is displaced by AI. for when an employee is displaced by AI.
• </c> employment affects 10 or more employees employment affects 10 or more employees or<00:26:14.960>
• </c> think the mental status of your employee think the mental status of your employee is<00:57:42.359
• ><c> employees</c><00:58:29.800><c> and</c> collecting about their employees and collecting about their

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Registration of employee organizations, commonly referred to as unions.
• employee organization.
• The examples are very small percentages of employees voting in favor.
• Public employees should have a voice, and it should take a majority of those public employees who would
• of Public and Private Employees, AFL-CIO.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill excludes employees who are supervisors, managers, or confidential employees, employees covered
• And we serve these farmers with about 100 full-time employees and about 200 to 250 seasonal employees
• It's good for the employers, and it's good for the employees.
• SB 5852 ensures due process for employers and employees.
• SB 5852 ensures due process for employers and employees.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 6045, which would place agricultural employees under the Public Employment Relations Commission for collective bargaining, including card-check or election certification, bargaining duties, and interest arbitration. Staff explained the bill’s scope, exclusions, enforcement provisions, and fiscal note, and members asked about the domestic-violence privilege language, the fiscal impact, and implementation timing. Public testimony was sharply divided: labor and farmworker advocates said the bill would correct a historic exclusion of agricultural workers and improve wages, safety, and dignity, while growers and industry groups argued it would raise costs, create coercive card-check concerns, and risk disruptions during short harvest windows. The sponsor closed by saying the bill was a starting point and that she would continue working with stakeholders. The committee then took up Senate Bill 6188, an agency-request bill on asbestos training rules. Staff said it would remove a limit on Labor and Industries’ rulemaking authority so the agency could adopt additional training and certification requirements beyond those specifically required by federal law; the fiscal note showed no fiscal impact. The sponsor and L&I said the change would let the state strengthen worker safety around asbestos removal, while the Building Industry Association opposed it, warning about divergence from federal standards and added costs. The hearing then moved to Senate Bill 6053 on domestic workers, which would create statewide labor protections including minimum wage and overtime, written agreements, notice requirements, anti-discrimination protections, and enforcement by L&I and private actions. Testimony from domestic workers, advocates, and caregivers supported the bill as a needed extension of basic protections, while L&I noted implementation costs and technical amendments. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 5852 on immigrant workers and I-9 audits. Staff described requirements for employers to notify workers within 72 hours of a federal inspection notice, provide copies of results and correction timelines, limit voluntary access to records without a warrant or subpoena, and prohibit retaliation, with enforcement by the Attorney General and private lawsuits. The Attorney General’s office and supporters said the bill would add due process and transparency and reduce fear during workplace raids, while business, hospitality, county, and small-business representatives argued it could conflict with federal law, create heavy compliance burdens, and expose employers to severe penalties and lawsuits. No votes were taken in the transcript; the committee heard testimony and closed hearings on the bills discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:25:54.159><c> is</c> lenient process when an employee is lenient process when an employee is
• Um, we believe these employees should be allowed just cause protections, and allowing these employees
• </c><00:30:58.720><c> has</c> the purpose of exempt employees has the purpose of exempt employees has
• </c> protections and allowing these employees protections and allowing these employees to<00:31:19.440
• </c> retention of these employees. Thank you. retention of these employees. Thank you.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard SB 2122, which would tie public service flexible spending account contribution and carryover limits to the annual IRS cafeteria plan caps. DEER supported the bill and said it would help the state keep pace with federal limits, though it suggested deleting the words “inflation/adjusted” and “for that calendar year” as unnecessary. HGA and UPW strongly supported the measure, saying state limits lag the IRS amounts and that higher caps would help employees offset rising health care costs. In response to questions, DEER said the plan has a fund balance of about $1.6 million but noted some risk if employees leave before contributing enough to cover reimbursements. The unions agreed to DEER’s suggested wording change so long as the bill still clearly required future increases to track the IRS limits. The committee then took up SB 2116, which would create a confidential process in the Attorney General’s office for anonymous complaints against public employees, with complaints forwarded to the appropriate agency and annual reporting required. DLIR and the Attorney General opposed the bill. The AG’s office said anonymous complaints cannot truly be guaranteed to remain anonymous, that existing laws already provide confidential complaint processes in specific areas, and that the AG would effectively be only a repository without meaningful authority over how complaints are handled. HGA and UPW supported the bill, saying it would begin a conversation about protecting complainants while discouraging frivolous complaints. In questions, senators raised concerns about how anonymous complaints would be investigated and whether the AG could serve as an appeal body; the AG said the proposal would likely require broader changes to existing complaint laws. The committee also heard SB 218, which would amend the amount a disbursing officer may deduct from an employee’s wages to repay indebtedness to the state. HGA and UPW supported the bill, saying it would create a more lenient repayment process for employees who were overpaid and should not have to repay large amounts in a single pay period. UPW said the bill would eliminate a provision allowing recovery of debts of $1,000 or less in one pay period, which it described as problematic for members. The Libertarian Party of Hawaii was listed in opposition, and additional comments were submitted by the state controller and the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly. Finally, the committee heard SB 2114, which would repeal the prohibition on certain exempt employees grieving suspensions or discharges and allow bargaining-unit members to grieve disciplinary actions. DHRD and the City and County of Honolulu opposed the bill, arguing exempt employees are at-will employees who serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and already have other legal remedies for discrimination or harassment; they also said the issue is a negotiable matter under collective bargaining agreements. HGA and UPW supported the bill, saying exempt positions have increased in number and that just-cause protections would improve recruitment and retention. Senators questioned how unions would represent exempt employees and whether the bill would change the at-will nature of those positions; no vote or final action was taken on the measures in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• One is for all employees.
• an employee or group of employees who no longer desire to be represented by the certified bargaining
• of Public and Private Employees.
• Members, this bill is pro-employee. Let me say that again: pro-employee, pro-public employees.
• Let me say that again: pro-employee, pro-public employees.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up a long agenda of bills, many of them amended. Early action included PCS for CS for HB 639, which would expand an existing Fraternal Order of Police specialty license plate to all Floridians, tighten specialty plate rules for future applicants, require financial projections and reporting, and create several new specialty plates. After questions about Florida nexus requirements and a successful amendment adding a Florida Film Legacy plate, the bill was reported favorably 26-0. PCS for CS for HB 1169, limiting local governments’ use of excess building-code enforcement funds for construction of the code-enforcement building, also passed unanimously after testimony from the Florida Home Builders Association. The committee then approved HB 139, expanding whistleblower protections for state, local, and contract employees who file ethics complaints, with support from the Florida Commission on Ethics. PCS for HB 273, which would make special districts eligible for certain state and federal grants and direct pay options, passed 24-1 after testimony from both supporters and opponents. Members also approved CS for HB 1087, a public-records exemption for certain stablecoin issuer information, and CS for HB 1085, updating the local government cybersecurity grant program by moving it to Cyber Florida at USF, adding a sunset, and limiting consecutive awards. Several environmental and local-government transparency measures drew extended debate. CS for CS for HB 1417, a broad environmental bill, was amended to remove several provisions, retain others on the Environmental Regulation Commission, springs, solar facilities, Indian River Lagoon septic deadlines, and coastal resiliency partnerships, and then passed 24-0 amid mixed testimony from DEP, water management districts, and environmental advocates. CS for HB 1457, creating a framework for regional stormwater management systems and water quality enhancement areas, passed 24-0 after discussion of port impacts. CS for HB 1329, requiring local budgets to be posted earlier, retained longer, and made searchable, and adding a 10% budget-cutting exercise, passed 17-6 after strong opposition from local-government groups who argued it would be costly and duplicative. The committee also approved CS for HB 4091 creating a special district for stormwater and flood control in Sarasota and Manatee counties, and then took up CS for HB 995, a major overhaul of Public Employees Relations Commission and union-related procedures, including registration, dues disclosure, election rules, leave-time limits, and expedited bargaining over legislatively appropriated salary increases; that bill was still under questioning when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• In total, this division has around 70 employees.
• that will be in the office full time or the employees that will be in the office full time or the employees
• Will have the information on the employees that will be in the office full-time or the employees that
• The agencies in these buildings only assign 4,779 employees, and on average, 2,79 employees worked in
• The employees are just not working in that building.

Summary: The LOFT Oversight Committee met with a quorum, approved the prior minutes, and then received LOFT’s report on state office space utilization in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. LOFT presented three main findings: OMES is not fully exercising its statutory authority over state property and relies on flawed self-reported data; state office space is being used inefficiently and often below policy benchmarks; and better use of state-owned space could save tens of millions in private lease costs. LOFT also described errors in the state’s real property inventory, low utilization rates across OMES-owned, agency-owned, and privately leased space, and recommended stronger data verification, clearer space standards, and more active oversight of underused property. OMES responded that it believes it is meeting its statutory obligations and said it tries to balance oversight with being a partner to agencies, placing them in space that best fits their mission and service needs. OMES officials said they rely on agency-reported data, do not have enough staff to independently verify all inventory information, and do not “police” daily occupancy. Members questioned the distinction between meeting statutory duties and exercising full authority, the use of “shall” versus “recommend,” the lack of enforcement for agencies that decline space recommendations, and whether OMES should more aggressively consolidate or divest underused buildings. LOFT and OMES also discussed the methodology behind utilization calculations, including badge-swipe data, space standards, and common-area adjustments. In the final finding, LOFT estimated that relocating agencies from private leases into existing state-owned space could save roughly $16 million to $28.8 million annually, depending on the scenario used. LOFT cited other states and federal reforms as models and recommended that OMES more actively assess underutilized properties, verify data, and use actual utilization analysis to reduce private leasing. OMES said it would review the comments and work to improve. The committee then unanimously approved a rapid-response evaluation request for LOFT to examine DHS child care subsidy verification and reimbursement processes, citing concerns about possible improprieties and the need to confirm whether fraud or waste is occurring.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, the agencies in these buildings only assigned 4,779 employees, and on average 2,079 employees
• The ag building should hold 457 employees.
• Meanwhile, 136 employees use the space on a daily basis.
• , including how many employees are duty assigned to a building.
• The plus 20% brought them to 216 square feet per employee.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• employee expenditures.
• employee expenditures.
• and potential data about employees and potential employees<00:01:13.600><c> enrolles</c><00:01:14.400
• ><c> plan</c><00:01:14.720><c> offerings</c> employees enrolles plan offerings employees enrolles plan
• </c> such as district and employee such as district and employee expenditures.<00:01:21.439><c> That<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:40.040><c> and</c> address these concerns employee and address these concerns employee and
• Employees will help fund this benefit by varying increased employee contribution rates depending on the
• . retired employees uh as it is now with retired employees uh as it is now with the<00:07:54.560><c>
• </c><00:10:26.000><c> for</c> offer new and current employees for offer new and current employees for
• </c><00:28:50.320><c> then</c> employee and the state employee then employee and the state employee then

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:02 Attendance Roll Call: 00:49 Approval of Minutes: 01:55 CERS Retiree Health Subsidy Proposal: 02:14 SB 58: 24:05 TRS Sick/Annual Leave Proposal: 32:53 Adjournment: 48:00, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the prior month’s minutes after a roll call established a quorum. It then heard testimony on a draft proposal from Senator Robbie Mills to increase CERS retiree health subsidies for members retiring on or after July 1, 2003. The bill would raise the non-hazardous subsidy from $14.63 to $40 per month per year of service and the hazardous-duty subsidy from $21.94 to $50, with employee contribution rates adjusted based on the health trust’s funded status. Supporters from sheriffs, firefighters, police chiefs, and the Kentucky League of Cities said the change would improve recruitment and retention, better align the subsidy with the cost of a single health plan, and preserve the system’s financial footing through shared employer-employee costs and funding triggers. Committee members asked about the fiscal impact, the effect of funding levels above 150%, and how the subsidy would work for rehired retirees or employees who later take private-sector jobs. Mills and other witnesses said preliminary actuarial work was still forthcoming, that the bill was intended to be revenue-neutral or close to it, and that the subsidy would continue to be paid monthly; they also noted existing 2008 rules for rehired retirees and said the benefit would still be available even if a retiree later had other insurance. One member suggested looking at stable accounts as an additional option for special-needs planning in a later bill. The committee then heard Senate Bill 58 from Senator Robin Webb, which would allow state employees to designate a Special Needs Trust as a beneficiary for retirement benefits. Webb said the measure would help employees provide for disabled dependents without jeopardizing SSI or Medicaid eligibility, and that the bill follows federal special-needs trust rules. He said the proposal could be revenue neutral, but actuarial analysis was still pending and KPPA had asked for electronic rather than paper transfer provisions. Members questioned whether the authority already exists, how the trust would work, and whether stable accounts should also be considered; Webb said he would follow up with additional information.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> public employees. So, the just a second. public employees. So, the just a second.
• So um let me kind of start employee.
• </c><00:20:16.960><c> when</c> worldview that public employees when worldview that public employees when
• </c><00:33:14.640><c> is</c> some pause when a public employee is some pause when a public employee is
• Um, see employee. So if you know I'm an employee.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a huge challenge to keep state employees.
• There are some employees that are still allowed to remote work.
• Andy Ramos, President and CEO of State Employees Credit Union.
• and CEO at State Employees Credit Union.
• As a former state employee, Ms.

Bills: SM13, SM14

Keywords: land grant, Las Vegas, governance, self-governance, judicial management, forced sterilization, coerced sterilization, Indigenous women, Native American women, women of color, reproductive justice, reproductive sovereignty, truth and reconciliation commission, memorial, trauma-informed care, reparative justice, human rights, bodily autonomy, Indian Health Service, Indian affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• So we also worked side by side there was Coast Guard employees, Air Force employees, and we had what
• was called federal/state Army cooperative employees.
• I started a 24-hour shift as a state employee and ended the shift as a state employee.
• The state already allows public employees to purchase credible service.
• The practice of using contracted workers in place of state employees...

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service held a hearing on a wide range of credible service and retirement-related bills, with testimony largely focused on allowing public employees to buy back prior service time or receive more appropriate retirement classifications. Bills discussed included retirement buyback for Joint Base Cape Cod firefighters (H. 4317), clarification of call firefighter buyback rights (H. 2883/S. 1915), veterans’ buyback (H. 2957), a Bridgewater State University police death-benefit/heart-law issue (filed by Rep. Gallagher), unpaid parental leave buyback for municipal employees (H. 2946), school nurse creditable service (H. 2887/S. 1787), former private/parochial school teacher buyback (S. 1900/H. 2873), Massport police retirement classification (S. 1888), contract employee buyback (H. 2795), Retirement Plus late entry (H. 2792), CVTE/teacher-related buyback issues (H. 2762), Peace Corps/AmeriCorps creditable service (H. 2927), and institutional school teacher retirement fairness (H. 2757). Several speakers also referenced related bills for teachers and nurses that had been heard previously or were filed in parallel in the other branch. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support of the bills. Speakers argued that the measures would correct inequities, recognize prior public service, and help recruit and retain workers in hard-to-fill public jobs. Firefighters described the unique federal-to-state transition at Joint Base Cape Cod and said some members were left out of earlier buyback opportunities. Veterans, teachers, school nurses, correctional educators, and Massport police all described service requirements, administrative gaps, or outdated statutory language that they said unfairly limited retirement credit or placed them in the wrong retirement group. Several witnesses emphasized that the proposals were fiscally responsible because employees would pay the cost of the buybacks, and some noted that similar bills had been filed repeatedly in prior sessions. Committee members asked a few clarifying questions, mostly about why certain employees had been excluded under current law or how the retirement provisions would work. No opposition testimony was presented. The hearing concluded after all scheduled witnesses testified, with the chairs thanking participants for their service and the committee voting to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• Oh, yeah, and for the qualified employee who was the, Oh, yeah, and for the qualified employee who was
• It's a Minnesota employee.
• So you have North Dakota employees and other states.
• If I have employees in California that aren't in state, the employer is still in the state, but the employee
• that live in Fargo, That we had was that employers, if you have employees that live in Fargo and employees

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The conference committee discussed a child care tax credit bill and focused mainly on narrowing the eligibility language. Members agreed to remove a proposed 10-mile limitation tied to the state line at first, then revisited the issue after concerns from the Tax Department and Legislative Council about remote workers, border communities, and out-of-state daycare use. Testimony from the Greater North Dakota Chamber supported the credit as a more flexible version of a prior grant program, while committee members debated whether the credit should apply only to North Dakota residents, employees working in North Dakota, or child care providers located in North Dakota or border cities. After extended discussion, the committee settled on keeping the 10-mile language and striking the resident requirement from the definition of “qualified employee,” with the intent of better capturing border-area workers while avoiding broader unintended coverage. Members noted the bill is aimed at workforce and child care access, especially in Fargo, Grand Forks, and other border areas, and acknowledged that the language may still need adjustment in the future. The Tax Department and Legislative Council indicated the revised language would be workable. Representative Foss moved the final amendment to the conference committee report, Senator Powers seconded, and the motion passed on a roll call vote with all members voting yes: Chairman Rummel, Senator Marseille, Senator Powers, Representative Doctor, Representative Foss, and Representative Anderson. The committee then adjourned, with House and Senate members designated to carry the report forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> as a legal contract by our employee as a legal contract by our employee groups<00:05:18.360><c>
• Another district has an average of 310 hours per employee, and the highest bank for an employee is 3,400
• Bank in that uh for an employee is 3,400 Bank in that uh for an employee is 3,400 hours<00:07:23.840>
• or a part-time employee.
• </c><00:08:50.080><c> that</c> substitutes and other employees that substitutes and other employees that

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee opened by approving the January 16 and January 21 minutes. Members then heard testimony focused on the impact of Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) and the proposed paid family and medical leave program on Minnesota school districts, with the chair framing the hearing as an opportunity to hear from major employers and school leaders about costs and operational effects. Kimberly Lewis, speaking for the Minnesota School Boards Association and related school administrator groups, said districts generally already provide generous, locally negotiated sick leave and had initially adapted to ESST by separating vacation, sick time, and ESST into different buckets. She argued that a 2024 law effectively converted previously bargained sick leave into ESST, which she said undermines contracts, creates large unfunded costs, and may raise constitutional contract-clause concerns. Lewis cited large accumulated leave banks in some districts, increased sick leave use, and estimated significant costs from paid leave, including a reported $2.5 million impact for one large district. She urged flexibility such as prorating ESST for midyear hires and part-time staff and exempting coaches, short-term substitutes, and similar employees from ESST. Superintendent Anarie Fuco of St. Michael-Albertville said her district expects about $400,000 in added fiscal 2026 costs from ESST and paid leave, plus indirect costs from substitute coverage and increased absenteeism. She said schools already have generous bargaining agreements, but the new laws reduce verification and require districts to track leave for temporary staff, creating what she described as a need for “substitutes for our substitutes.” Fuco said the district would face more than $211,000 in direct payroll costs from paid leave alone and asked for flexibility or exceptions for districts already offering comparable benefits. Members asked follow-up questions about how substitute teachers accrue leave and how many districts may be cutting budgets; Lewis and Fuco said many districts are making cuts and that substitute and staffing burdens are growing. A third testifier began by Zoom, but the transcript cuts off before her full testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• back to employees through a reduced<00:33:08.000><c> employee</c><00:33:08.679><c> contribution.
• Pension as state employees.
• </c> don't want to overburden the employee. don't want to overburden the employee.
• So we would gradually employees.
• </c> the employees accounts are kept open. the employees accounts are kept open.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now... ...want to send these employees off.
• or municipal employees and so on.
• I am also a former employee of the Twin Falls School District.
• union dues from employees' paychecks.
• If employees want to join the union, that's their right.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from February 17 and introduced a new page. It then took up Senate Bill 1261, which would add the word “appointed” to code so that an appointed officeholder is treated the same as an elected one after a resignation and appointment. There was no opposition, and the committee voted to send SB 1261 to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. The main item was House Bill 745, a proposal by Rep. Judy Boyle to bar school districts from using public funds or payroll systems for certain union-related activities. Boyle said the bill would stop districts from paying union dues, increasing compensation to cover dues, providing paid leave for union work, sharing extra personal information with unions, or distributing union communications, while exempting police and firefighter unions and preserving collective bargaining. Committee members pressed her on why teachers were singled out, how the bill fit with existing law, and whether the claimed $1.2 million fiscal impact was consistent with the fiscal note. Boyle said the bill was aimed at keeping taxpayer money in classrooms and that some districts already use public funds for union-related costs. Public testimony on HB 745 was split. Supporters, including representatives of the Freedom Foundation, Americans for Prosperity, the National Right to Work Committee, parents, taxpayers, and several teachers or school employees, argued that payroll deductions, paid release time, and district support for union activities improperly subsidize private political organizations and should be paid for by unions themselves. Opponents, including the Idaho Education Association, the AFL-CIO, a superintendent, and an educator, argued the bill is aimed at teachers’ unions, is not neutral because it excludes police and fire, could interfere with local community events and school partnerships, and may create legal and administrative problems. No final vote on HB 745 was taken in the portion provided; testimony continued with the bill still under consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• Number of employees.
• and attract employees.
• and attract employees.
• “There has to be at least one non-related employee.
• So this is the entity that takes care of essentially employee scheduling, employee training, all of that

Keywords: 959, house, all