Transcript Highlights:

• TOP PRIORITIES OF A FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
• SOME OF THE EXAMPLES INCLUDE A PURPLE TOOLKIT TO CELEBRATE MONTH OF THE MILITARY FAMILY AND APRIL OF
• IN TERMS OF THE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY LEVEL OFTEN WE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY RECENTLY AT MR.
• HAFNER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA PRESENTING SOME GREAT OPTIONS AND PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAVE
• MISS LAURIE THE DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA MILITARY AND VETERANS RESOURCE CENTER.

Transcript Highlights:

• And just yesterday, as a matter of fact, he won in a three-way tie at the Harvard University National
• And just yesterday, as a matter of fact, he won in a three-way tie at the Harvard University of the yesterday
• , as a matter of fact, he won in a three-way tie at the Harvard University National Speech and Debate
• It revises the university access rate performance metric to measure the percentage of newly admitted
• I think the best thing that can happen to our universities is higher Pell Grant percentages of students

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Nick Estrada, and I'm a student at the University of New Mexico School of Law. A.J.
• I'm also the Associate Vice President of Enrollment here at Highlands University.
• Speaking of community, I'm very proud that our School of Education faculty are partnering with the University
• The New Mexico cohort in this project includes the University of New Mexico and its campuses in Taos,
• Brown, and welcome to the University of...

Committee: House House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Brian Mueller has been president of Grand Canyon University since 2008, overseeing the transformation
• GCU is going to be right in the middle of it in many ways, but so will the state university system, so
• And he now has the number one basketball program in the country at the University of Arizona.
• He is a senior at the University of Arizona. He's also interning for me.
• He is a senior at the University of Arizona. He's also interning for me.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• consideration as a member of the Western New Mexico University Board of Regents.
• University Board of Regents.
• Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico in 2009.
• Mexico University Board of Regents.
• New Mexico University Board of Regents.

Transcript Highlights:

• The University of Arkansas was there for all of those presentations on March 12 and 13.
• Number four is University of Arkansas with Bernard.
• "Number four is University of Arkansas with Bernard.
• Number four is University of Arkansas with Bernard.
• Number 18, University of Arkansas, Choice Energy Services.

Committee: All JBC-PEER REVIEW

Summary: The PEER Review Subcommittee met to consider a large agenda of budget, appropriation, transfer, and contract items. Members approved temporary appropriation requests for several agencies, including the Auditor of State, Department of Education, and Labor and Licensing; ARPA return requests from Workforce Services; Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requests for State Police and Agriculture; restricted reserve transfers for teacher scholarships, school facilities, and economic stimulus; a Commerce reallocation of positions and spending authority; cash fund, budget classification, overtime, and pay plan requests; and 17 methods of finance items for universities and other agencies. Most items were approved without objection after brief explanations from staff and agencies. Several items drew questions and were held or discussed further. A Department of Human Services discretionary grant package for the RSVP program was held over after Senator Irvin raised concerns about whether the grants were an effective use of state general revenue and asked for more information on administration costs and program operations. In the contracts section, Representative Richardson questioned a DHS sole-source contract with EMS Link for document management software and a DHS contract with Presidio; the EMS Link item was held for additional answers, while the Presidio item was clarified as not sole-source and was allowed to proceed. Members also asked for more information on a Department of Education mental health referral contract with Care Solace, which officials said is a statewide concierge/referral service connecting students to Arkansas providers and telehealth options. The committee also reviewed monthly reports, including the Medicaid Trust Fund. DHS and DFA officials said the fund was currently sufficient to finish the fiscal year, though it was being drawn down and would likely require a $100 million transfer from restricted reserves in FY27, with another $100 million set aside in the governor’s budget as a backstop. Members discussed the need to define a minimum reserve level and to better account for ongoing Medicaid costs in the budget. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have a lot of data that goes out to all the agencies and universities daily, monthly, yearly, to
• Our revenue is primarily from premiums that we bill out to all of our covered agencies and universities
• So we have a lot of data that goes out to all the agencies and universities daily, monthly, yearly, to
• Our revenue is primarily from premiums that we bill out to all of our covered agencies and universities
• Our revenue is primarily from premiums that we bill out to all of our covered agencies and universities

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations from the Department of Financial Services and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, then returned to its ongoing budget workshop with the Department of Management Services. DFS’s Division of Risk Management described its role as the state self-insurance fund, covering about 200,000 employees and 27,000 vehicles, paying roughly $150 million in claims last year, and managing a pilot ETS treatment program for veterans and first responders that had 49 patients and 804 treatments as of the latest report. The Division of State Fire Marshal outlined its fire prevention, training, emergency response, and grant programs, including hurricane deployments, the Florida State Fire College, and several capital and grant requests for roof, courtyard, memorial, and equipment needs. The Division of Rehabilitation and Liquidation explained how it handles insolvent insurers under Chapter 631, currently administering 14 estates with $1.2 billion in assets and $3.7 billion in liabilities, and said no new receiverships had been opened since February 2023. Members asked about grant backlogs, fire truck procurement delays, memorial repairs, and whether affiliate transfers were occurring in insurer liquidations. Secretary Griffin then updated the committee on DBPR’s implementation of House Bill 1021 on community associations. He said the department had used the new authority to expand education, complaint handling, and ombudsman services, including 10 free standardized courses, a new condo website, and a four-hour board certification course that had already drawn more than 12,000 attendees. He reported that outreach to condominium communities had increased by more than 60%, that complaint filings were up 39% while jurisdictional dismissals dropped to 11%, and that about 81% to 82% of the 65 new positions had been filled. Members pressed him on whether the department had enough authority and funding, how condominium counts are determined, how self-reported structural integrity reserve study data is verified, and whether more public-facing complaint tracking and better reporting from local governments or developers would improve the system. The committee then resumed questioning Secretary Allende of DMS about outstanding budget and operations issues. Members focused on the delayed People First contract extension required by statute, with the secretary saying the delay involved technical and contractual complexity in moving a legacy hard-coded system to the cloud. They also revisited the state data team and data catalog project, asking why a statutory 2022 deadline had not been met, how the four-person team and broader data staff were organized, how many applicants were considered for key positions, and what each role was doing. The secretary said the catalog work was being simplified into six metadata fields and supported by a broader community of practice, but no firm completion date was given during the exchange.

Transcript Highlights:

• I serve as the Director of Government Relations for the University System of New Hampshire.
• So I think because of that universities more likely than not are very unlikely to make those sorts of
• So I think because of that universities more likely than not are very unlikely to make those sorts of
• So I think because of that universities more likely than not are very unlikely to make those sorts of
• So I think because of that universities more likely than not are very unlikely to make those sorts of

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened with a hearing on CACR 7, a proposed constitutional amendment to explicitly state that defendants are innocent until proven guilty in all cases and suits brought by the state. The prime sponsor argued the amendment would strengthen due process, prevent government overreach, and extend the presumption of innocence beyond criminal cases into civil and administrative matters such as forfeiture and family court proceedings. In testimony and questioning, the sponsor cited New Hampshire constitutional provisions, historical examples, and concerns about courts shifting burdens onto individuals. Committee members raised questions about the amendment’s wording, its relationship to existing law, and whether it would have practical effect if current statutes already place the burden on the state. The hearing was then closed without further witnesses. The committee next moved to executive session on House Bill 480, which establishes a procedure for restoring competency and creates a pilot forensic liaison position in Merrimack or Strafford County to assist with that process. After discussion about prior concerns, including an email from the Disabilities Rights Center and whether enough members were present, the committee voted to adopt Amendment 2025-61H and then voted ought to pass as amended. The amendment passed unanimously, and the bill passed on a 10-1 roll call, with Representative Andrew voting no. The chair noted the bill would not go on consent and that no minority report was planned. Finally, the committee opened a hearing on House Bill 666-FN, which would add restitution for violations of library-use confidentiality and expressly include library cards and membership status among confidential records. The sponsor said the bill was intended to strengthen privacy protections after a local dispute and to provide a remedy and deterrent for improper disclosure. Committee questions focused on whether the restitution penalty would apply to accidental disclosures, how the bill interacts with existing exceptions such as court orders or investigations, and whether the language was consistent with current confidentiality law. The hearing remained open at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• She's part of the A&M internship program, but she's going to go to the University of Texas in the fall
• Kairn Williams is a recent graduate of the Southern University Law Center.
• proud president of University Democrats.
• And the proud president of University Democrats.
• Raich Tamlanovich is a law student at the University of Texas at Austin. M.

Summary: The House met on sine die and began with prayer, pledges, quorum verification, and a series of announcements and recognitions. The chamber received Senate messages reporting adoption of conference committee reports on SB 268 and SB 2972, and Senate concurrence in House amendments to SB 1637. Members also referred several resolutions and announced the signing of numerous House and Senate measures by the presence of the House. Technical correction resolutions were adopted: HCR 171, authorizing corrections to HB 46, passed 138-0, and SCR 55, making a wording correction in SB 1964, passed 126-12. A large portion of the meeting was devoted to memorials and recognitions. The House honored Pastor Dave Welch, with several members offering condolences and reflections on his work organizing pastors and engaging in civic life, followed by a moment of silence. Members also recognized the Ganado High School Maidens for winning the 2025 UIL 2A Division I softball state championship, Waco police K-9 Andor after being shot in the line of duty, Region 7 DPS for Capitol Complex security, and various restaurants, staff members, interns, caucus staff, and caucus freshmen of the year across Republican, Democratic, Black, Progressive, LGBTQ, IT, Energy and Climate, and Mexican American Legislative Caucuses. The chamber also heard a retirement-style address from Rep. Tony Tinderholt, who reflected on his six sessions in the House, his military service, and his decision to step aside to focus on family, while colleagues from both parties praised his service, discipline, and willingness to work across differences. The House then continued with additional staff and caucus recognitions, including committee staff, district office staff, and interns, with members repeatedly thanking their teams for their work during the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• four</c><00:20:33.159><c> of</c> the University of Minnesota and four of the University of Minnesota
• The University of St.
• The University of St.
• The University of St.
• The University of St.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• as a reappointment to the Board of Regents of New Mexico Highlands University.
• Elaine Luna to the Board of Regents of New Mexico Highlands University.
• As a proud honorary letterman of New Mexico Highlands University, I stand in strong support of Elaine
• , David, and, of course, Elaine, to the New Mexico Highlands University Board of Regents.
• of Regents of New Mexico Highlands University.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Minnesota State four-year universities and the University of Minnesota and other institutions. students
• </c><01:15:56.000><c> of</c> financial analyst for the University of financial analyst for the University
• Student Finance at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
• ><c> of</c> FAFSA in late November the University of FAFSA in late November the University of Minnesota
• </c><01:19:12.600><c> for</c> University of Minnesota thank you for University of Minnesota thank you

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• About four years ago, our state began the ambitious plan of creating a universal pre-kindergarten option
• When we look at the goal of universal preschool access for all four-year-olds and income-eligible three-year-olds
• And, of course, this is one of those times where we're about And, of course, this is one of those times
• The 2025–26 governor's budget moves forward with full implementation of TK by allowing universal access
• That first full year of universal implementation should ensure that districts and charter schools have

Summary: The joint hearing focused on California’s child care, preschool, and transitional kindergarten oversight, with chairs emphasizing the state’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and the need to break down silos between programs. CDSS and CDE reported progress toward the plan’s goals, including universal access to TK for all four-year-olds next school year, expanded access for low-income three-year-olds, and more children with disabilities being served in state preschool. They also noted ongoing work on quality rating/review reform, funding structure changes, and the need to address rates, workforce shortages, and federal uncertainty around Head Start. Testimony from advocacy groups and providers largely supported expanding access while simplifying the system. Children Now, Every Child California, and the California Budget and Policy Center argued that California still has uneven access, especially for infants, toddlers, and three-year-olds, and urged investments in mixed delivery, inclusion, full-day options, and a cost-of-care rate methodology. Every Child California recommended consolidating part-day and full-day contracts, streamlining eligibility priorities, making the two-year-old option permanent, and funding staffing incentives. Parent testimony highlighted how child care gaps and county-to-county transfer delays can disrupt work, safety, and children’s stability, and providers described low reimbursement rates, the need for health and retirement benefits, and support for delinking subsidy rates from private pay. The second panel addressed universal transitional kindergarten. The Learning Policy Institute reported rapid TK expansion, with most districts now offering TK, but said access still depends on facilities, staffing, and whether programs are available at all school sites. The Department of Finance said the governor’s budget would fully implement TK by adding funding for all eligible four-year-olds and lowering the adult-to-child ratio from 12:1 to 10:1. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the administration’s enrollment and cost assumptions were optimistic and estimated lower TK enrollment growth and lower costs for the ratio change. CDE supported the expansion and urged continued funding for UPK coordinators, teacher development, and mixed-delivery planning grants. Members questioned facilities shortages, staffing competition, and how to ensure TK expansion does not displace CSPP or Head Start classrooms. No formal votes or actions were taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• On behalf of AFSCME Local 3299, the frontline service workers at the University of California, we support
• Doug Subbers, on behalf of the California State University Employees Union, in support. Thanks.
• Doug Subbers, on behalf of the California State University Employees Union, in support.
• The universities would need to secure authenticated platforms capable of hosting thousands of potential
• And I think a lot of people feel like that. And also, what does universal basic income pay for?

Committee: Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is supported by the Board of Governors of the State University System and by our state colleges
• I'm a distinguished research professor of English at Florida State University and the president of the
• I've survived three school shootings: at high school in Colorado, the University of Arizona, and last
• So which kind of faculty member or other employee of a university would sign up to be a guardian?
• This bill is supported by the Board of Governors of the State University System and by our state colleges

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's been consistently opposed by our university presidents across the state of Florida, which is
• And had that person done that at any of our 12 state universities, they would not have been turned around
• At any of our 12 state universities, they would not have been turned around by a security guard.
• When Jewish students at the University of California, Los Angeles attempted to walk through campus, When
• Jewish students at the University of California, Los Angeles attempted to walk through campus, they

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Summary: The committee took up a full agenda of criminal justice and related bills, beginning with SB 1180 on AI-generated sexual images. Senator Gates explained the bill was prompted by an Escambia County case involving deepfake pornography created from images of teenage girls, and a student victim testified in support. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. Members then approved SB 500, creating a Spectrum Alert system and related training for missing children with autism; SB 726, making swatting offenders liable for prosecution, investigation, and restitution costs; and SB 494, which would create a statewide animal abuse database, after extensive support testimony from shelters, law enforcement, and animal welfare advocates. SB 964, revising objective parole guidelines to account for rehabilitation and program participation, also passed after testimony from supporters of parole reform and compassionate release. The committee next approved SB 1344, a juvenile justice cleanup bill with a delete-all amendment that updated truancy, CINS, detention risk assessment, and other juvenile justice provisions. SB 468, increasing penalties for fleeing or eluding and allowing impoundment of involved vehicles, was reported favorably after limited opposition and support from law enforcement-related groups. SB 1136, increasing penalties for offenses involving minors and clarifying that ignorance of a victim’s age is not a defense, also passed after testimony from law enforcement supporters and two speakers opposed. SB 1660, on prostitution, drew the most extensive public comment: the sponsor said it was intended to distinguish trafficking victims from willing participants and shift penalties toward buyers and facilitators, while survivors, prosecutors, and advocates debated whether the substitute amendment would improperly criminalize prostituted persons; the committee ultimately adopted the substitute and reported the bill favorably. The committee then approved SB 1828, making trespass at large ticketed events and certain secured locations a felony, with discussion focused on crowd control and public safety at major events. SB 1386, increasing penalties for assault and battery on utility workers and adding propane workers through an amendment, passed with broad support. SB 612, closing a loophole so minors who distribute deadly drugs like fentanyl can be charged with murder in certain cases, was reported favorably after testimony from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and opposition from civil liberties groups. SB 814, which would allow firearms on college campuses and at school-sponsored events, drew strong opposition from students and faculty and was reported unfavorably. Finally, the committee began SB 1604 on corrections with a delete-all amendment that addressed filing deadlines for DOC-related claims, execution-method language, tracking devices, involuntary treatment, and parole-related statutory cleanup; the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• You're familiar with all of those, of course.
• Some of which we are, some of which we aren't. But it's been around a number of years.
• Those students then have the ability to go to the university of their choice in the university system
• of scale.
• Is there going to be any discussion among the universities about our state colleges on the payment of

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Appropriations Committee for Higher Education met to review Florida’s workforce and Florida College System funding models as part of budget planning. Chair Harrell opened by emphasizing the state’s growing focus on technical education and workforce pathways, and the committee first heard from Tara Goodman of the Department of Education on district workforce education. Goodman explained the programs funded through district workforce dollars, including career certificates, applied technology diplomas, registered apprenticeship, and adult general education, and described the model’s reliance on lagged enrollment, program cost weights, local tuition offsets, and supplemental factors such as disability services, GED testing, and minimum funding for small rural districts. She also noted federal support through Perkins and WIOA and said the model is used to determine unmet need and guide appropriations. In response to questions, she said health care programs are generally among the higher-cost offerings and may be supplemented by pipeline funds. The committee then heard from Kathy Hebda, Chancellor of the Florida College System, on the college system’s funding model. Hebda described the main funding sources, including the program fund, student success incentive funds, pipeline funds, tuition and fees, and performance-based incentives, and explained that the current model was developed by the 28 college presidents under legislative direction. She said the model uses a three-year average FTE, weights workforce enrollment more heavily than non-workforce enrollment, gives significant weight to completions, includes a small-college factor and regional cost differentials, and also provides targeted funding to bring colleges up to a floor based on per-FTE funding. Senators asked about colleges below the target, cost differences among programs, faculty salaries, and health insurance costs; Hebda said the model is meant to provide flexible operating dollars that colleges can use for those expenses, but specific salary and benefit decisions are left to the institutions. Seminole State College President Georgia Lorenz also testified in support of the college funding model, saying it holds institutions accountable for enrollment and completions, can be adjusted to reflect state priorities like workforce, and addresses differences in size and regional costs. No bills were voted on, and the committee adjourned after brief closing remarks thanking Seminole State College and the presenters.

Transcript Highlights:

• So let's go with the University of Arizona. Thomas Diaz de la Rubia. Thomas Diaz de la Rubia.
• So President Garimela and I, when we started as the new team at the University of Arizona, we looked
• the University of Arizona and the state of Arizona.
• That's what we're focused on at the university. That's the promise of fusion.
• The nuclear reactor was invented in the basement of the University of Chicago football field during World

Committee: House House Science & Technology Committee of Reference

Summary: The Committee on Science and Technology met with a full audience and began with brief introductions, including an intern from Arizona State University. The committee heard two presentations before taking up its only bill. The University of Arizona’s Thomas Diaz de la Rubia spoke about fusion energy, describing it as a potential clean, safe, baseload power source and arguing Arizona should build the talent, supply chains, and research infrastructure to commercialize fusion. Members asked about timelines, regulation, competition with China, and the relationship to small modular reactors; he said fusion could be commercially relevant in roughly 12 to 15 years if public and private investment continues, and that the U.S. should avoid losing manufacturing and supply chains as it did in other technologies. He also discussed the university’s broader space and national security work. XRDNA CEO Charles Ableman then presented a spatial addressing and coordination system called EVA, describing it as a way to align data about where and when physical objects exist across systems, with a security layer called a sphere of influence. He said the company is testing with space and logistics partners, uses AI provenance tools, and sees its near-term use case in space operations and interoperability. The committee then considered HB 2809, which would require state agencies handling sensitive or protected data to implement post-quantum encryption meeting or exceeding CMMC 2.0 standards, using a U.S.-based vendor and U.S.-developed or maintained components. The bill would place the master encryption key with the Auditor General and set procedures involving the Auditor General and Attorney General. Sponsor Rep. Gillette explained that the bill was simplified from a prior version after concerns that agencies would have to connect offline systems to the internet; the amendment clarified that encryption can be installed without internet connectivity and without requiring other systems to be online. He argued the measure is needed to modernize weak legacy systems and protect data after prior breaches and failed IT projects. Members generally supported the concept but raised questions about implementation, costs, vendor neutrality, and the Auditor General’s role; the Secretary of State’s office was described as neutral and still evaluating implementation. The committee adopted the Pingarelli amendment and then passed HB 2809 as amended on a 9-0 vote, with several members explaining that they supported the bill but wanted continued stakeholder input and careful attention to execution.

Transcript Highlights:

• We were from University of Kentucky.
• The University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville being our two teaching institutions along with
• ><c> the</c> The University of Kentucky, the The University of Kentucky, the University<01:23:30.960>
• 33.280><c> two</c> University of Louisville being our two University of Louisville being our two teaching
• the University of Kentucky, the<01:56:06.000><c> University</c><01:56:06.480><c> of</c><01:56:06.639

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we drilled down a bit further into the state university system sector last week with the Board of
• Governors and three of our universities.
• The university will provide us with a brief tour of three facilities.
• The Board of Governors and three of our universities.
• The university will provide us with a brief tour of three facilities.

Summary: The Higher Education Budget Subcommittee met, confirmed a quorum, and heard opening remarks from Chair Busata. The chair reviewed the committee’s prior meetings on the state higher education budget and the state university system, then announced that the committee would leave the Capitol for an on-site visit to FAMU-FSU College of Engineering’s Innovation Park. Members were told the tour would include the College of Engineering, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (the MagLab), and the Florida Center for Advanced Aero Propulsion. The chair described the visit as an opportunity to see the facilities firsthand rather than just review budget figures and noted that the committee would adjourn at Innovation Park and return by shuttle later in the afternoon. No bills were heard, no testimony was taken, and no votes or formal actions were recorded beyond the announcement and adjournment for the site visit.