Transcript Highlights:

• "We've gotten two inches of rain in the last hour.
• Not going too far outside of the scope of what happened at Mystic, the hours right after this event were
• The hours right after this event were significant and harrowing for a number of reasons.
• Part of the problem with an absolute lack of incident command in those minutes and hours after this event
• I got a phone number for one of them. I spent almost an hour on the phone with her mother.

Committee: House The July 2025 Flooding Events, General Investigating

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The hour of 11:45 having arrived, the House will come to order.
• The hour of 11:55 having arrived, the House will come to order.
• The goal of this 24-hour notice rule was clear: it is so that constituents, residents, and interested
• decision. ...removing the ability of local governments to waive the 24-hour notice rule in any matter
• Government needs to operate in the light of day.

Summary: The House began with ceremonial recognitions, including guests of Representatives Benham and Warren and a farewell acknowledgment for longtime floor staffer Michelle Martin, who is leaving House service for a role in the Senate. The chamber then took up caucus and committee announcements, recessed several times, and later returned to consider a series of committee reports and bills. House and Senate bills were reported from Rules, Appropriations, and Judiciary, including referrals of several measures to committees. The House adopted House Resolution 515 unanimously, urging Congress to review Major Richard D. Winner’s actions for possible Medal of Honor recognition. It also adopted House Resolution 208, directing a performance audit of services, wait times, and processes in the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services; supporters said it would help improve services for Pennsylvanians with vision impairment, while the vote was 201-1. The chamber then passed several bills with amendments, including measures on foster care youth benefits, AI companion safeguards, prison industry enhancement program administration, memorial bridge designations, firefighter and EMS donation options through PennDOT renewals, horse-racing background checks, and fertility preservation coverage. Several bills reached final passage. House Bill 1239, limiting homeowners associations from restricting rooftop solar installations, passed 109-93. House Bill 2146, amending the Sunshine Act to tighten the 24-hour agenda notice rule while preserving limited exceptions, passed 193-9 after debate over transparency and local-government flexibility. House Bill 2558, banning non-compete agreements for broadcast workers, passed narrowly 103-99 amid objections from Republicans and concerns about impacts on local broadcasters and contract rights. Senate Bills 971 and 972 also passed finally, dealing with township audit deadlines and municipal memorials for first responders. The House also approved House Bill 2412, funding state-related universities for fiscal year 2026-27, by 155-47 after debate over Penn State’s campus closures, accountability, and per-student funding differences; House Bill 2413, appropriating funds to the University of Pennsylvania, passed 195-7. The chamber then moved several bills back to Appropriations, signed Senate Bills 971 and 972, and adjourned until the next scheduled session.

Transcript Highlights:

• As part of our feasibility study, we spent a lot of time interviewing operators of theater operators
• It also happened to be at the same time we were doing that, one of the leading global operators of theaters
• > time interviewing, uh, operators of time interviewing, uh, operators of theater<00:09:48.399><c> operators
• doing that, uh, one of the leading global<00:09:53.040><c> operators</c><00:09:53.440><c> of</c><00:
• 09:53.680><c> theaters,</c><00:09:54.160><c> ATG</c> global operators of theaters, ATG global operators

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development and Tourism met to hear presentations on a proposed downtown Lexington Arts Center. Visit Lex opened by framing the projects as regional economic development efforts that could support tourism, quality of life, and workforce attraction and retention. NextStage Development Corp. and ATG Entertainment then described a proposed $120 million project featuring a 2,500-seat performing arts center and a 20,000-square-foot visual arts gallery, with plans for up to 180 events a year, over 300,000 annual visitors, and an opening target of 2029. The presenters said the project would be funded through a $30 million state request, $30 million from ATG Entertainment, and $60 million raised by the nonprofit through philanthropy and other financing sources. They cited a feasibility study by Sound Diplomacy and compared the proposal to the Durham Performing Arts Center, arguing that similar venues have driven downtown revitalization, tourism, and economic activity in other cities. They also said the venue would include community access, school partnerships, subsidized tickets, and revenue returned to the nonprofit for grants and arts programming. Members asked about the total cost, the funding mix, whether the city of Lexington would contribute, and the building’s design. The presenters said they are in contact with city officials and are seeking city support, but have not yet hired an architect or begun conceptual design. They said the design process will involve community input and should fit Lexington’s historic downtown character. Representative Whitten asked whether the project would compete with Louisville; the presenters responded that their market analysis suggests the venue would serve audiences from Lexington, eastern Kentucky, and surrounding areas who are unlikely to travel to Louisville or Cincinnati, making the project complementary rather than competitive.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1422 seeks to work on unmanned aircraft, the operation of drones over critical infrastructure facilities
• It says crossing sites that have a rate of 360 vehicles per hour during school hours can be considered
• Crossing sites that exceed 4,000 vehicles per hour during school hours, irrespective of whether the traffic
• I am assuming that the roofers will probably make it part of their standard 14-hour course, and then
• The municipality, colleagues of the municipality, the City of North Miami Beach, has been operating the

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The committee took up a series of bills, beginning with SB 1422 on unmanned aircraft systems. The bill increases penalties for flying drones over critical infrastructure, prohibits drones equipped with weapons or explosives, creates a first-degree felony for drones carrying a weapon of mass destruction, and includes a law enforcement exception. A lay-filed amendment by Senator Pizzo warning against the use of force to shoot down drones was debated but failed, and the bill was then reported favorably. The committee also reported favorably on SB 846 addressing notary public fraud in immigration-related services, SB 650 on hazardous walking conditions for school transportation, SB 922 on employment agreements including non-compete and garden leave provisions, and SB 1820 on motor vehicle manufacturer and dealer relations, covering performance measures, retaliation, and franchise termination standards. Several bills focused on education, health care, and disability issues. SB 540, the Evan B. Hartzell Act, would require disability history and awareness instruction across grade levels; it drew emotional testimony from the bill sponsor, family members, and supporters, and was reported favorably. SB 998 would allow advanced practice registered nurses to certify deaths and file death certificates in hospice settings under physician protocol, and SB 1412 would modernize home health agency rules by expanding administrative flexibility and contract service use; both passed. SB 1736 would allow direct support professionals and relatives to administer insulin in group home settings for individuals with developmental disabilities, and it was also reported favorably. The committee also advanced several regulatory and court-related measures. SB 1650 expands Florida’s vexatious litigant law, including allowing designation based on conduct in a single case and extending the look-back period, while SB 1652 creates a public records exemption for certain stricken non-criminal court filings; both were approved. SB 1076 on roofing contractors was amended to require continuing education for roof-to-wall connections and then passed, and SB 1078 on fire prevention was amended with stakeholder-agreed language before being reported favorably. SB 1080 on local government land regulations, after multiple amendments and significant debate over agricultural enclaves and local control, was also approved. Other major measures included SB 818 on utility relocation, which creates a relocation fund funded by a portion of communications services tax revenue and was supported by multiple industry and local-government groups after a compromise amendment; SB 868 on social media use by minors, which would require a decryption mechanism for law enforcement access under subpoena and prohibit disappearing messages for minors, remained under discussion as the transcript ended. The committee also heard SB 96, a claims bill for Jacob Rogers against the City of Gainesville, and reported it favorably after testimony that the city would pay the settlement amount.

Transcript Highlights:

• All of them in California require significant human babysitting in the form of remote operations.
• In the case of autonomous vehicle operation, and this is one of the interesting things about workforce
• So instead of thinking remote operations are bad, we need to think that remote operations are good.
• of a third party, a remote operator.
• I spend a majority of my time and waking hours on the road.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on autonomous vehicle technology in California, with testimony from industry, safety advocates, first responders, drivers, and state regulators. The chair framed the hearing as an overview of AV deployment, safety, first responder interactions, and current and future regulation. Witnesses from the AV industry argued that autonomous vehicles can reduce crashes and injuries, create jobs, and support California’s leadership in innovation, while critics and crash survivors described serious safety failures, including phantom braking, inadequate transparency, and crashes involving Tesla’s Autopilot/Full Self-Driving systems. Several witnesses urged stronger disclosure, data preservation, independent safety validation, and clearer accountability for companies deploying these systems. First responder and labor witnesses described operational problems in San Francisco and elsewhere, saying AVs have blocked fire engines, ambulances, and police responses, shut down in emergency scenes, and caused major delays during outages. They asked for faster and more reliable remote support, a public safety manual override, clearer enforcement authority, and limits on deployment in complex conditions. A police chief representative said law enforcement supports innovation but needs standardized protocols, training, and clear statutory authority. A Teamsters representative criticized proposed DMV rules for heavy-duty autonomous trucks, arguing they rely too heavily on manufacturer self-certification and do not impose enough independent safety review or geographic limits. State regulators from the DMV and CPUC defended California’s existing AV framework, saying the state has regulated AVs since 2014 and now has an end-to-end system with permits, reporting requirements, enforcement tools, and first responder coordination. DMV officials said the new rulemaking would add more reporting, address heavy-duty AVs, and require compliance with emergency geofence messages and law enforcement direction. CPUC testimony emphasized that its role is limited to passenger service and ride-hail operations. Committee members asked about crash data, remote operations, liability, response times, and whether California should adopt more uniform standards and stronger guardrails. No votes or formal actions were taken, as the hearing was informational.

Transcript Highlights:

• of an agency operating in the shadows or skirting these best practices.
• My name is Anthony Soto, owner and operator of Soto Home Care, based out of Holyoke, Massachusetts.
• And so when I talk about leveling the playing field among operators, that's kind of what we're talking
• I want to say that in other states where we operate, which have licensure, of course you all know this
• a year valued at 5,000 ...million hours of unpaid care a year, valued at $5.68 billion.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Aging and Independence held a hearing on several bills, led by Chair Tom Stanley and Senate Chair Patricia Jehlen. The committee first heard testimony on H. 765/S. 487, an act relative to councils on aging, which would update outdated statutory language and allow directors of councils on aging to make staffing decisions when a council is structured as an advisory body. Representative Donahue and Betsy Connell of the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging said the change reflects how most councils now operate and would resolve conflicts like the one that arose in Sherborn. Members asked about whether the bill would affect town managers, volunteer roles, and whether the language should more clearly exempt informal volunteer help; supporters said the bill is aimed at municipal staffing structures, not unpaid volunteer assistance. The committee then took extensive testimony on H. 789/S. 470, an act to improve Massachusetts home care, which would create a statewide licensure system for non-medical home care agencies and entities. Julie Watt, Jay Krillovich, Betsy Krimmins, Lisa Gargoni, Tim Foley, and several providers and advocates supported the bill, arguing that licensure would establish baseline standards for background checks, training, service plans, insurance, complaint procedures, and labor-law compliance, while helping consumers identify legitimate providers and reducing fraud and abuse. Several witnesses described problems with unlicensed or poorly supervised providers, and family members and dementia advocates emphasized the need for dementia-specific training and better oversight for vulnerable clients. Tim Foley also raised concerns about private equity’s growing role in home care and said stronger regulation is needed to protect consumers and workers. Committee members focused on practical questions about the bill’s scope, including whether it would reach informal paid helpers, volunteers, or people doing occasional household tasks, and what agency would enforce the rules. Supporters said the bill is intended to cover entities advertising home care services, not unpaid volunteer help, though they acknowledged regulators would need to work out details. John Sneeth of Tribute Home Care offered a more cautious view, saying licensure should not unduly burden smaller providers or reduce competition, and that enforcement would be key. The hearing also included testimony from the Alzheimer’s Association and family caregivers, who strongly supported the bill’s dementia-training provisions and described how trained caregivers improved safety and quality of life for people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. At the end of the hearing, the committee also heard support for H. 778/S. 473, regarding the Commission on LGBTQ Aging, with Lisa Krinsky urging funding for a full-time director and continued support for the commission’s strategic plan. After public testimony concluded, the committee adjourned the hearing by motion and voice vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• an 8-hour course typically the Department of Criminal Justice Training puts on for us.
• our 40-hour in-service training during this period of time throughout the year, and the legal updates
• legal updates as part of an 8-hour<00:20:17.760><c> course</c><00:20:18.080><c> typically</c><00:20:18.520
• </c><00:20:33.000><c> our</c><00:20:33.160><c> 40-hour</c> on it during our course of our 40-hour on
• it during our course of our 40-hour in-service<00:20:34.200><c> training</c><00:20:34.600><c> during<

Committee: House Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• how the program operates.
• The version of SB 1131 before you today makes several refinements to the DCLA to create operational and
• of SB 1291.
• of these properties, as well as requirements that renters also have disclosure of what kind of utility
• I'm chairman of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions heard two bills. SB 1131, presented by Senator Jones’s staff, would update the Debt Collection Licensing Act by requiring DFPI to conduct examinations remotely unless an on-site review is needed for consumer protection, and allowing the department to rely on recent audits or examinations by other regulators or approved third parties to avoid duplicative work. Supporters from the California Association of Collectors and Receivables Management Association International said the bill would reduce examination costs and improve administrative efficiency while preserving consumer protections. A representative of the California Low-Income Consumer Coalition expressed concerns. Committee members noted the need to avoid unintended consequences for the consumer protection goals of the licensing program. The bill was moved on a due pass and re-refer motion to Appropriations and later received enough votes on call to pass out of committee. The committee also heard SB 1291, the “Shine Act,” by Senator Gonzalez, which would increase transparency and accountability for mutual water company boards by eliminating the 24-hour written notice requirement for board meetings, requiring websites with basic information and consumer confidence reports, and directing a comparative analysis of mutual water companies serving disadvantaged communities. Supporters, including community and public health advocates, described problems with water quality, inaccessible meetings, poor notice practices, and lack of information in communities such as Cudahy and Maywood. The California Association of Mutual Water Companies opposed the bill unless amended, arguing it imposes costly, one-size-fits-all requirements on small systems without dedicated funding and could be difficult for remote or low-capacity mutuals to meet. Committee members generally supported the transparency goals but raised concerns about scale and compliance burdens; the author said he would continue working with opponents. SB 1291 was moved on a due pass and re-refer motion to Environmental Quality and later passed out of committee on call.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are expected to generate approximately 75% of our own operating budget each and every year.
• What What kind of hours? I understand that you are not providing remote work.
• So what is your funding mechanism for this, or does it come out of your general operations?
• And we built a lot of capacity to serve summer load during the day during peak hours to serve AC load
• One of them resolving disputes regarding Rio Grande project operations.

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the kind of order of business.
• I am familiar with the operation of state government.
• So it's limiting that to a maximum of 24 hours, and then it places a few additional restrictions, which
• The proposed client may be detained for evaluation as provided in subsection C of the 72-hour hold.
• I'm thinking that might take about an hour and a half or so of our time.

Committee: House House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• of care.
• Many of us are operating month to month, doing everything we can to continue serving our community.
• We need rates that ensure extra pay when a family exceeds 40 hours of care, with base and certificate
• We need rates that ensure extra pay when a family exceeds 40 hours of care, with base and certificate
• The full range of needs of the child.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Are those only being operated under a local, at that point now, instead of the state?
• It would be nice to reduce the number of hours so that we could increase the value of the continuing
• I’ve built, owned, operated, or sold a number of hospitality-related businesses, including restaurants
• I've built, owned, operated, or sold a number of hospitality-related businesses, including restaurants
• So we are operating as a lender that's wholly owned by the state of Florida. Developers apply.

Summary: The subcommittee heard and approved four bills focused on reducing or modernizing professional regulation. HB 6015, by Rep. Oliver, repeals the word “reusable” from the wine keg statute to allow businesses more flexibility in container materials; members joked about the possibility of a Home Depot bucket, and the bill passed 16-0. HB 339, by Rep. Abbott, creates an alternative temporary licensure pathway for surveyors and mappers based on employer recommendation and exam passage, but members raised concerns about qualifications, liability, and oversight; Abbott said he was open to amendments, and the bill passed 14-1 with Rep. Overdorf dissenting. HB 139, by Rep. Lopez, allows pawnbrokers to use digital transaction forms instead of only printed forms; a technical amendment added readability and placement requirements for digital forms, and the bill passed unanimously. HB 195, by Rep. Chambliss, lets the Department of Corrections coordinate with DBPR boards so inmates who complete licensure-related classes can receive credit toward professional licensure; supporters framed it as a second-chance and workforce bill, an amendment clarified that DBPR handles professions without boards, and the bill passed favorably 15-0. The committee then received a presentation from DBPR Secretary Melanie Griffin on the department’s role overseeing more than 1.7 million businesses and professionals across over 30 fields. She highlighted enforcement and complaint data, including more than 24,000 inspections and complaints handled in the last fiscal year, a preference for education and voluntary compliance over formal discipline, and the department’s alternative dispute resolution program, which returned $2.7 million to consumers and saved $270,000 in costs. Griffin also reviewed recent deregulatory and efficiency efforts, including endorsement/reciprocity reforms, fee waivers, reduced processing times, and shorter call wait times, and said DBPR is continuing to look for ways to cut red tape while protecting public safety. Members questioned Griffin about permitting, continuing education, complaint processing, board vacancies, fraud in cosmetology and construction, coordination with other agencies, and whether schools can block students from taking state exams over unpaid tuition. DBPR staff said complaints are generally processed within 60 days, schools cannot bar graduates from taking the exam because of tuition debt, and the department works with other agencies when issues cross jurisdictional lines. The panel discussion that followed featured industry representatives from landscape architecture, building/code administration, pools, roofing, construction, HVAC/electrical, and hospitality, who generally supported reducing local permitting burdens, standardizing requirements, improving reciprocity and training pathways, and using technology and clearer scopes of work to make licensure and inspections more efficient.

Transcript Highlights:

• They sometimes are ways to kind of fund general operations, but the issue is that most often they're
• They sometimes are ways to kind of fund general operations, but the issue is that most often they're
• They sometimes are ways to kind of fund general operations, but the issue is that most often they're
• 60 days, which is currently where it's at, to just 48 hours from the time of collection.
• of hours on either side of the day.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we need to think about the burden of the amount of hours, and I would also say we see the declining
• instructional hours and the decline of attendance, and how it's our students Thank you, Mr.
• Every dollar of that comes from operational funds.
• One of the most notably being in terms of the requirements being one the number of semester hours for
• The semester hours required is 12 hours, all of which must be aligned with the competencies in Section

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, that variety of case management systems and how courts operate does make this a complex issue
• The CHP operates one of the most extensive impaired driving training programs in the nation.
• At the academy, cadets receive 102 hours of DUI training, far exceeding the POST requirement of 46 hours
• speed in excess of 100 miles per hour, and over 2 million citations of other speeding violations.
• Kevin decided to flee, and he took those officers on a chase of speeds of up to 101 miles per hour on

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It just seems like the DSO is operating, you know, kind of loosely right now. And I'm sure...
• So it's operating, you know, kind of loosely right now.
• That anyone would like to have about the operation of this.
• We have to go through hours and hours of screening. We can meet those requirements.
• We have to go through hours and hours of screening. We can meet those requirements.

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee met with a full agenda and reported all measures favorably. The committee first heard HB 1327, which would codify the Hope Florida program in state law, and HB 1329, the related public-records exemption for Hope Florida participants; both bills drew questions about oversight, duplication of services, staffing, and data privacy, and both passed 17-0 after an amendment to HB 1329. The committee then approved HB 391, allowing certified batterers intervention programs to include optional faith-based content while remaining grounded in required therapeutic models; an amendment clarified that participation in faith-based components must be strictly voluntary. Supporters argued the bill restores choice and access, while opponents raised concerns about church-state separation and uneven availability of secular alternatives; the bill passed 17-0. Members also advanced HB 1065, creating an Alzheimer’s disease awareness initiative through the Department of Elder Affairs, with broad support from members who shared personal experiences and emphasized early detection and public education. HB 1163, dealing with recovery residences, passed 12-5 after debate over local zoning authority, home rule, and whether the bill would help or hinder placement of level four recovery homes near urban cores. Several members said they supported recovery housing in principle but wanted more clarity on task force findings and local impacts before fully backing the measure. The committee next approved HB 969, which shifts evaluation of school district mental health assistance programs to OPAGA and requires reports on outcomes and effectiveness; members stressed the need to know whether substantial mental health funding is improving student outcomes. HB 1191, which decriminalizes allowing children to travel to school, play outdoors, or stay home for reasonable periods and codifies current DCF policy, passed 16-0 with support framed around parental rights and child development. Finally, HB 1207, the Tristan Murphy Act, passed 15-0 and would expand mental health diversion and treatment options, including training for first responders, a forensic hospital diversion pilot, a behavioral health data repository, and additional evaluation requirements before inmate work assignments. The meeting adjourned after all agenda bills were reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then an hour of instruction... ...an hour, let's say the drive, that's another 10 minutes.
• Then an hour of instruction. Now we're at an hour and 20 minutes.
• hour per week of release time for religious instruction at their parent's choice of location.
• First of all I want to speak as to a person who has actually taught these classes, who is a charter operator
• organization that is operated to support the school district or charter school to the list of individuals

Committee: House House Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2266, which would change school release-time policy for religious instruction from permissive to mandatory for school districts and charter governing bodies. The sponsor and supporters said the bill protects parental choice, religious liberty, and constitutional release-time programs, while opponents argued it would reduce local control, pull students from instructional time, and expose schools to constitutional and social harms. After public testimony and debate over liability, indoctrination, and academic impact, the committee voted 7-5 to give HB 2266 a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up House Bill 2193, a cleanup measure related to student directory information and parent organizations. The bill would allow parents of enrolled students or representatives of nonprofit organizations supporting a school to receive directory information unless a parent or eligible student opts out. Supporters from PTO/PTA groups said the change is needed so parent organizations can continue communicating with families and building school community, while members raised concerns about whether the language should be narrowed to avoid political or other misuse of student data. The sponsor said he was open to an amendment, and the committee approved HB 2193 on a 10-1 vote, with one member present. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2075, which would require public school districts to submit superintendent and other top administrator contracts or attestations to ADE and create a searchable online database of compensation details, including salary, benefits, and car allowances. The sponsor described it as a transparency measure, and the committee discussed an amendment to add more specific filing deadlines and the online database requirement. Opponents from school administrators and rural districts argued that superintendent salaries are already public, that the bill should also apply to charter and private schools receiving public funds, and that it could add burdens or distort comparisons across different public-sector labor markets. Supporters said the bill would make total compensation easier to access and reduce public records requests. The sponsor closed by saying the bill would centralize compensation information and simplify disclosure for districts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Of this, and 13 have the exact same version of this, and it's operating just fine, and guess what, those
• In fact, we have at least one of our investor-owned utilities that operates just fine in a state with
• So in the history analysis of some of those states that transitioned, for lack of a better word, were
• of options here with a lot of different prices.
• Ameren Missouri owns and operates a couple of power plants in Illinois, but they serve Missouri customers

Committee: House General Laws

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . of all of our health care.
• of?
• The chances of making a mistake in an operating room is a little different than the chances you have
• When we told the jurors that all of their hours of deliberation were based on this horrific case of a
• They were peers of average people deliberating for hours to come up with that $15.5 million verdict.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• $900 to $1,000 per hour, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in awards.
• I have a whole file, which is why I got my hours mixed up, of all of the different language suggestions
• Two of DCF's child protection investigators went to the home several hours later and failed to conduct
• I oversee all of Publix's liability claims in all states of operation, including Florida.
• by the language of the statute and resumed the hearing hours later.

Summary: The subcommittee considered a long agenda of civil justice and claims measures. HB 1173, relating to the Florida Trust Code, was presented as a clarification of standing in trust litigation after recent case law; after questions about who may sue, an amendment was adopted clarifying that an expressly named charity retains standing, and the bill passed 14-2. HB 1437, on attorney’s fees in motor vehicle PIP disputes, drew testimony from insurers and reform groups opposing a return to fee-driven litigation and from medical groups supporting fee recovery for prevailing parties; it passed 17-0. CS/HB 147, addressing prohibited debt-collection communications during nighttime and early morning hours, was described as a clarification of an outdated statute in light of modern communications, with support from business groups and no opposition in the vote; it passed 18-0. The committee then heard several claims bills against the Department of Children and Families. HB 6511, for relief of L.P., described severe injuries to a child after DCF allegedly failed to act on warning signs; a technical amendment was adopted and the bill passed 18-0. HB 6515, for relief of Michael Barnett, involved DCF’s alleged failure to investigate domestic violence that preceded the killing of three children and injury of a fourth; members asked about the settlement amount and the case’s circumstances, and the bill also passed 18-0. HB 1517, expanding wrongful death law to allow parents of an unborn child to recover for the child’s death, generated the most extensive debate. The sponsor said it aligns civil law with existing criminal definitions and excludes claims against mothers and providers of lawful medical care, including IVF; opponents warned it could be used to target reproductive care, support networks, and domestic violence survivors, while supporters framed it as a justice measure for families. An amendment clarifying damages rules for minors and unborn children was adopted, and the bill passed 13-4. Finally, HB 947, on evidence of medical damages in personal injury and wrongful death cases, sought to allow broader evidence at trial and to change “shall” to “may”; supporters said it would improve fairness and transparency, while opponents argued it would weaken post-2023 tort reforms and reintroduce inflated medical damages. The amendment was adopted and the bill was then taken up with additional opposition testimony.