Transcript Highlights:

• And just the economy of scale from an economic and financial standpoint. it makes sense.
• relates to. a requirement that a student's post-secondary transcript include the average or meeting grade
• And there's something even bigger at stake as we learn. to scale regenerative agriculture throughout
• So scale is the key word here.
• Regenerative agriculture isn't impossible, it just hasn't been prioritized and focused on at scale.

Bills: HB3032, HB3434, HB3574, HB5339, HB5646

Keywords: nursing education, clinical sites, health facilities, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, legislative study, healthcare training, tuition, financial assistance, higher education, public institutions, student support, nonresident students, Texas Education Code, resident tuition, scholarships, regenerative agriculture, grants, sustainable farming, soil health, bioremediation

Transcript Highlights:

• With a score of 35 out of 36 on the ACT exam, combined with his stellar high school grades and athleticism
• Recent seizures highlight the scale of trafficking along transportation routes, and Tucson law enforcement
• see the most success. bringing local, state, tribal and federal partners together just enhances or scales
• proven-to-be best practices, and where are we at in terms of scaling that to the level that we would
• So we have to be thinking about what makes sense in terms of broad scale investment, and then how much

Keywords: Coast Guard, maritime drug enforcement, illegal drugs, fentanyl crisis, legislative reforms, public testimony

Summary: The meeting of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation addressed critical issues surrounding maritime drug enforcement and the Coast Guard's role in stopping the influx of illegal drugs. The chairman highlighted the alarming consequences of current policies allowing drugs to cross borders, emphasizing the need for legislative reforms, such as the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2025. There was an intense discussion regarding the operational challenges faced by the Coast Guard, which has recently made significant drug seizures, indicating progress but also revealing gaps that need addressing. Several witnesses, including victims of the drug crisis, shared their compelling testimonies, which underscored the urgency for stricter controls and comprehensive support for law enforcement agencies involved in drug interdiction efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ultimately, a high-grade source of helium was accidentally discovered in Northeast Minnesota in 2011
• Finally, they worked closely with Lake County for their clearing and grading permits to work on private
• <00:37:00.839> permits<00:37:01.480> to clearing in their grading permits to clearing
• in their grading permits to work<00:37:01.880> on<00:37:02.160> private work on private
• for a fee or tax on recommended scale for a fee or tax on those<00:47:20.240> just<00:47:20.440

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• detection systems, replacing our electrical transformers, replacing some duct work, our correctional grade
• Grade security windows and vents, and making structural repairs and improvements to the ramp that leads
• We're getting really good economies of scale.
• become another enterprise platform that agencies can use in a consistent way that'll drive economies of scale
• Hampshire invested in a mobile New Hampshire invested in a mobile command fleet designed to support large-scale

Keywords: 928, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of you may remember smaller-scale developments that add variety to neighborhoods and provide more
• Right now, you're going from a master trades person to a grade three. It's a non-alignment.
• We have very good partners in the private industry that also do grades six through eight, particularly
• to a grade three. It's a non-alignment. to a grade three. It's a non-alignment.
• that also do grades six through eight<00:48:22.559> uh<00:48:22.720> particularly<00:48

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:07 Roll Call 00:00:25 Discussion of Lexington’s Housing Affordability Partnership 00:02:26 Discussion of Northern Kentucky’s Housing Blueprint 00:30:12 Discussion of Religious Institution Land Use 00:57:33 Discussion of Free-Market Solutions to Kentucky’s Housing Crisis 01:04:18 Adjournment 01:26:37, 958, all

Summary: The committee met without a quorum and began informally, with members noting this was the final information-gathering meeting on housing before a November meeting to discuss findings and report back to the LRC. The main presentation focused on the Lexington Affordable Housing Partnership, a public-private effort supported by a $10 million state allocation. Presenters described Fayette County’s housing shortage, citing a gap of more than 22,000 units, rising home prices, and the challenge of assembling land and capital for affordable projects. The partnership explained that five local banks created a $3 million capital investment fund to buy and hold land at no interest, with deed restrictions keeping the site at 80% or below area median income and allowing the banks to seek Community Reinvestment Act credit. The first project is a 12.5-acre former Transylvania University baseball field, planned for about 242 units, including detached homes, townhouses, garden-style apartments, and senior housing. Speakers said the project required extensive neighborhood engagement and zoning/development approvals, but that the planning phase is now largely complete and infrastructure work should begin soon. Financing details included roughly $64 million in additional funding through tax credit equity, market-rate loans, city support, Kentucky Housing Corporation resources, and donations from nonprofit partners. Developers said the multifamily bond applications are due to Kentucky Housing Corporation the next day, and they expect the land purchase to be repaid into the revolving fund once the property is entitled and closed, allowing the original $3 million to be redeployed for future projects. They estimated rental units could be filled within about six months of completion, while for-sale units would come online over 12 to 36 months. In discussion, members asked about regulatory barriers and project timelines. Presenters pointed to rising construction costs tied to new federal and state requirements, and one member highlighted the need to continue reviewing planning and zoning reforms to speed development plan approvals and reduce delays. The group also endorsed a possible statewide $20 million housing fund, a residential infrastructure fund, and efforts to avoid additional regulatory burdens on housing development.

Transcript Highlights:

• computer science at the K5 and scaling computer science at the K5 level.<00:36:24.000> again<
• <00:41:29.119> And<00:41:29.280> we're across the grade spectrum.
• And we're across the grade spectrum.
• and carried on, did not begin in third grade.
• Um we realized those same third grade.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call - 0:25 Approval of Minutes – 3-50 2025 RS SB 253 – 4:25 Computer Science and AI Literacy – 27:36 Fayette County School District Budget Update – 51:46 Adjournment – 2:09:46, 958, all

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including roll call, introductions, and approval of the previous meeting minutes by voice vote. It then heard a presentation on SB 253, focused on expanding support for teacher apprenticeship and teaching-and-learning pathways. Senator Hickman and staff from the Kentucky Department of Education and Nelson County Schools described how the program uses dual credit, work-based learning, and registered apprenticeship to help students earn an associate degree in high school and continue toward a teaching degree. They said the goal is to address the teacher shortage by creating a sustainable pipeline into the profession. Witnesses emphasized that the main barrier is cost. Mary Taylor said Kentucky’s youth apprenticeship model has been successful in other fields and that education should be added as an in-demand sector, but an associate degree alone will not solve the teacher shortage because teachers still need a bachelor’s degree and certification. Laura Arnold of Nelson County Schools described the district’s Lead Nelson program, saying the district has invested more than $800,000 since 2021, currently has 37 students in the pathway and seven committed apprentices, and spends about $85,000 per apprentice from freshman year through certification. She said district staffing, planning, and university partnerships are also significant hurdles. Members asked about job guarantees, tenure, and retirement; Arnold said employment is performance-based and retirement issues are being considered. Senator Hickman said the bill would use lottery funds to help cover tuition and dual credit costs so more districts can participate, noting that a prior version died because of a high fiscal note. Representative Payne and Representative Tipton praised the program but stressed the need for funding and noted inconsistencies between statute and budget language on Work Ready Kentucky and dual credit support. Representative Tipton also cautioned that lottery revenue may not keep pace with demand and said the General Assembly may need to make broader funding decisions. After the apprenticeship discussion, the chair moved the committee to the next agenda item on computer science and AI literacy, where Code.org began a presentation on the importance of computer science for all students.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, while these issues were way over my pay grade at the time, I could still feel the strain that this
• Uh while these issues were way over my Uh while these issues were way over my pay<00:33:40.760> grade
• at the time, I could still pay grade at the time, I could still feel feel feel the<00:33:44.120>
• travel within the region, and we will actually travel nationally if needed. >> When you have large-scale
• provide that aerial product, but we do respond all over as needed. >> When you think back to large-scale

Bills: HB339

Keywords: Civil Air Patrol, CAP, emergency leave, job protection, employment discrimination, leave of absence, volunteer service, emergency response, Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, state employee leave, military leave, public employees, local government employers, reinstatement rights, seniority protection, unpaid leave, Meeting Start 00:00:03 Roll Call 00:00:14 Discussion of Local Law Enforcement Issues 00:03:08 Discussion of Civil Air Patrol Employment Protections 00:50:46 Adjournment 01:06:07, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 11 bipartisan House members to Israel, and they saw firsthand the start-up nation, Israel, and the scale-up
• As you all know, school children are required by law to study Texas history in 4th and 7th grade.

Bills: HB1240, HB2768, HB2788, HB3146, HB4850, HB5032, HCR90

Keywords: border region, infrastructure, economic development, government operations, education, HB 2768, Texas information technology apprenticeship, state IT credential, information resources workforce, junior college, technical institute, apprenticeship program, workforce development, state agency hiring, job classification, career ladder, bachelor's degree substitution, associate degree, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, state auditor classification officer

Transcript Highlights:

• So, alt navigation and these chip-scale atomic clocks are incredibly important.
• Post-quantum cryptography is one of the earliest threats in terms of a utility-scale quantum computer
• computing by 2029. predicts them getting to utility-scale quantum computing by 2029.
• The very first use case for a utility-scale quantum computer will be this post-quantum encryption.
• That means how do we get kids involved in quantum computing and energy transition in fifth grade?

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows our students to compete at an international scale, but it also puts all this money into our
• at um it allows our students to compete at an<00:16:15.880> international<00:16:16.519> scale
• but it also puts an international scale but it also puts all<00:16:18.880> this<00:16:19.079>
• Many of you are familiar with our Arts High School in Golden Valley, serving 153 11th- and 12th-grade
• Many of you are familiar with our Arts High School in Golden Valley, serving 153 11th- and 12th-grade

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's kind of the scale of what we're talking about.
• But for me, to test at the scale that probably Houston needs, probably somewhere in the scale of $1 to
• That's not a technicality; that's high-grade intoxication.
• That Delta-9 amount scales with the weight of the product.
• This is a sixth grade rudimentary math equation.

Summary: The House Committee on Public Health heard House Bill 5, a proposal to ban THC products outside the Texas Compassionate Use Program while allowing non-intoxicating CBD and CBG products under tighter regulation. Chair Van Deaver gave a lengthy background on the 2018 federal Farm Bill and Texas’s 2019 hemp law, arguing that the lack of guardrails allowed a large, unregulated THC market to develop. HB 5 would impose licensing fees, product registration, testing and inspection requirements, and restrictions intended to keep products away from children. Invited witnesses from law enforcement strongly supported the bill. Steve Dye of the Texas Police Chiefs Association and Brian Hawthorne of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas argued that THC consumables are widely mislabeled, often far more potent than advertised, and linked to youth access, impaired driving, and organized crime. Both said regulation would be ineffective and would amount to legalization, while a ban would be easier for officers to enforce. They also emphasized support for the Texas Compassionate Use Program and said medical THC should remain available. Dr. Peter Stout of the Texas Association of Crime Lab Directors and Alice Amelot of Texas DPS testified as resource witnesses about forensic testing. They said current lab resources are already stretched thin, that quantitative testing for THC and related cannabinoids is expensive and time-consuming, and that a ban would simplify enforcement because labs could focus on presence/absence testing rather than concentration. Amelot said DPS labs are neutral on the bill but explained that mislabeled products and inaccurate certificates of analysis are common. Committee members asked about traffic safety, impairment, youth use, and the costs of enforcement and lab testing; witnesses repeatedly said the bill would reduce complexity for law enforcement but that any approach would still require more resources for labs.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's recognizing that if it came from a grade A...
• It's called root planing and scaling, getting under the gum and bleeding, so it numbs it for that.
• The new requirements currently focus on grades 4 through 8 and expand to kindergarten.
• 4 through 8 and beginning July 1, 2027, for students in grades K through 3.
• 4 through 8 and beginning July 1st, 2027 for students for grades K through 3.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first approved the December 3 minutes, then heard a request from the Board of Clinical Laboratory Practice to amend its proposed rule on exempt test methods to add certain closed-system DNA/RNA tests, including rhinovirus. After testimony explaining that the board had considered late comments from BioMérieux and wanted the rule record to reflect that review, the committee agreed to a limited amendment and passed the motion unanimously. The Department of Agriculture then outlined broad rule updates affecting dairy, eggs, poultry, pesticides, animal health, environmental mitigation, and the Egg Product Utilization Commission. The commissioner said the changes mostly clarified existing requirements, updated references, and reduced some burdens, such as easing dairy hauler training/licensing timing and clarifying out-of-state grade A milk language. Members asked about dairy industry decline, the APUC scoring system, and the rationale for the milk-hauler and out-of-state milk provisions. The State Board of Dental Examiners presented extensive rule changes tied to recent legislation and workforce issues, including a new professional health program for dentists, expanded duties for assistants and hygienists, broader local anesthetic authority for hygienists, and fee increases to fund the program and cover administrative costs. Testimony from Dr. Edward May strongly supported the professional health program based on his own recovery experience. The committee also heard from Game and Fish on rules easing some guide/outfitter experience requirements, allowing electronic exams, and modifying boating safety equipment rules, with no public comment and no fiscal impact. Later, Health and Human Services received approval for an extension to update tattoo/body art rules and a separate motion to repeal an obsolete nurse aide training chapter. HHS also described nursing facility rule updates, lodging sanitation revisions, and related clarifications on licensing, safety, pest control, and fire requirements. The Department of Environmental Quality received an extension for septic-system installer rules, and also presented rules for above-ground storage tanks and water/wastewater operator certification, including new fees and third-party testing options. The Industrial Commission’s oil and gas division described multiple rule changes, some withdrawn after comments, including drilling unit flexibility, site stability, wildfire authority, and streamlined transport/reporting procedures. Finally, DPI began presenting several rule packages, including school construction loan limits, school bus standards, cooperative agreements, special education rules for public charter schools, and new math curriculum and intervention requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's about 70,000 in each cohort, 60,000 to 70,000 in each grade, from birth on, 60 to 70 per year
• <00:09:08.200> from 60 to 70,000 in each each grade from 60 to 70,000 in each each grade from
• So I think, just to kind of scale the reasons for why people tend to move, family and housing are up
• Now we're just looking at an estimate of people who are actually working, to try to kind of scale that
• Now we're just looking at an estimate of people who are actually working, to try to kind of scale that

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A few of those schools have added every seventh-grade student goes. through them and most eighth-grade
• Seventh graders have the most availability in their schedule and probably are your most influential grades
• And so that is the target audience to hit sixth and seventh and eighth-grade students.
• But seventh and eighth grade is the target. Every school that we've. started it so far.
• that if you were a charter school and maybe your math scores aren't stellar in the upper elementary grades

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• At my neighborhood public school, for example, there are three classroom sections for every grade level
• So there's three classroom sections for kindergarten, three for first grade, three for second, et cetera
• At my neighborhood public school, for example, there are three classroom sections for every grade level
• So there's three classroom sections for kindergarten, three for first grade, three for second, et cetera
• Most counties have funded UPK coordinators, and some have even funded preschool-to-third-grade alignment

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Child Care Costs held its third hearing, focused on how transitional kindergarten (TK) fits into California’s mixed-delivery early learning system, with an emphasis on the Central Valley. Opening remarks stressed that TK and child care should complement each other, not compete, and that families need both part-day school-based options and full-day, year-round care. Committee members outlined hearing goals around aligning TK with existing programs, understanding family needs, and examining the economic impact of early learning on workforce participation and local economies. Panelists from the Legislative Analyst’s Office, Every Child California, Early Edge, Children Now, and others described TK’s rapid expansion to all four-year-olds, the growth in enrollment, and related changes to state preschool and after-school programs. Witnesses generally supported TK but warned that its expansion has shifted enrollment away from community-based providers, especially centers and family child care homes, creating financial strain, vacant classrooms, and staffing challenges. They urged stronger partnerships between school districts and community providers, more flexible licensing and facilities support, higher and more uniform reimbursement rates, permanent authority for state preschool to serve two-year-olds, and better compensation and training for educators across settings. Parents and providers testified about the importance of trusted, culturally and linguistically responsive care, the need for infant-toddler and home-based options, and the difficulty of affording child care when TK is not full-day or does not fit family schedules. Several speakers emphasized that many families still face long waits for subsidies and that reimbursement and payment delays threaten provider stability. Public comment echoed these concerns, with providers calling for true cost-of-care rates, more vouchers, support for transportation and nontraditional hours, and protection from insurance and facility costs that can force programs to close. State education officials said California’s UPK system works best when TK, state preschool, Head Start, and community-based providers are treated as a shared system, and noted that planning and implementation grants and local coordination efforts have helped build mixed-delivery partnerships. The hearing ended without formal votes or actions, but committee members indicated they would continue gathering input to inform future policy and budget decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• The data centers that are coming into the market are different in scale and in purpose.
• They're in scale and in are kind of coming into the market are different.
• They're in scale and in purpose. Our data centers were built to withstand F4 tornadoes.
• We want to leverage the investment that we've made to scale the network that we have.
• We want to leverage the investment that we've made to scale the network that we have.

Summary: The committee received several informational reports from NDIT and DPI. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major IT project portfolio, noting the portfolio was slightly under budget and behind schedule overall, with three red schedule items: Bed Management System and Vital Records were essentially complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project was delayed by vendor bug fixes after testing. He also summarized recent project startups and closeouts, including the Victim Notification System, Medicaid data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier permit system, and several completed HHS and RIMS projects. Members asked for follow-up on ADA compliance work, the public-facing RIO website, and the state’s mainframe retirement timeline, and staff agreed to provide updates later. Craig Falkley reported on coordination of services with political subdivisions and higher education, including StageNet, cybersecurity, radio/911 services, and PeopleSoft coordination. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for transparency and fraud prevention, but said it is not widely used in state government and suggested the report be modernized to focus more broadly on emerging technologies such as AI and cybersecurity. The committee generally agreed that the topic should be updated. Chris Gurgan presented the mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting program created by HB 1314, explaining how agencies and political subdivisions report incidents through NDIT’s website or service desk. He said 77 incidents had been reported since 2021, 47 met the statutory definition, and most were phishing-related; most reported incidents were resolved, with one recent ransomware matter still open. He also reviewed notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool compromise, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise, and a recent ransomware incident involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about recovery of stolen funds, early warning signs, smishing, training, MFA, conditional access, and cybersecurity maturity assessments; Gurgan said the state uses MFA and conditional access, provides awareness training to state employees, and would return with more information on maturity assessments. Tony Ambrose then updated the committee on the K-12 student information system bridge project. He said district implementation of Infinite Campus had begun statewide, but the data migration vendor originally selected was terminated for poor performance and replaced by Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with similar statewide migrations. He also said DPI is migrating special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, and that some SLDS-based tools such as e-transcripts and Choice Ready may not function exactly as they do now at July 1, requiring interim or alternative solutions. Members raised concerns about summer school disruptions, the timing of the cutover, and whether the new system would support existing reporting and transcript functions; DPI said it was working on identity, authentication, data-sharing agreements, and post-go-live integrations, and would continue to refine the plan beyond June 30.

Transcript Highlights:

• separation<01:13:51.480> project,<01:13:52.320> which<01:13:52.560> we a grade
• separation project, which we a grade separation project, which we commonly<01:13:54.160> refer
• know, listening to some of the other testifiers, though, maybe I'd add a little perspective just on scale
• <01:18:00.280> Their on scale for a city like Roseau.
• Their on scale for a city like Roseau.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As I'm sure you're aware, Texas ranks first in the amount of installed wind and utility-scale solar.
• We have the h2 scale Proto Hub on UT's Pickle Campus. If any of y'all would like to tour that...
• Again, from residential to the utility scale level, solar is a predictable source.
• So you're seeing it from the distribution level of the grid up to the utility scale.
• I think we can do a lot more on the smaller scale. Yes, sir. Thank you. Thank you.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• accessible data and actuarial analysis can help achieve wildfire mitigation on the community-wide scale
• not fully equipped, and local police departments are not trained to know how to document the growing scale
• Police departments are not trained to know how to document the growing scale of these threats.
• I'm in ninth grade, and I strongly oppose this bill. Good afternoon.

Summary: The committee met to hear seven Senate bills, first approving two consent items, SB 352 and SB 804, on motions to do pass to Appropriations. SB 542 (Limón) would require public notice and comment before issuing a financial responsibility certificate for an oil pipeline and require hydrostatic testing before restarting pipelines idle for five years or more; it was supported by the Center for Biological Diversity and passed the committee on a due-pass motion to Appropriations. SB 616 (Rubio) would create an independent community hardening commission within the Department of Insurance to coordinate wildfire mitigation and insurance-related recommendations; it drew support from the Department of Insurance and several local and industry groups, while water agencies, special districts, and the building industry raised concerns about water infrastructure standards, and it passed on a due-pass motion to Insurance. SB 429 (Cortese), which would establish a public wildfire catastrophe model and related university-based research and education program, received support from the Department of Insurance and outside groups and passed as amended to Appropriations. SB 256 (Perez) would strengthen wildfire mitigation and emergency response by expanding planning, improving PSPS communication, requiring utility coordination with emergency centers, and directing removal of permanently abandoned electrical facilities; utilities and business groups were generally neutral after amendments, while the author emphasized the bill’s connection to recent wildfire losses, and it passed as amended to Appropriations. SB 509 (Caballero) would require specialized training for local law enforcement on transnational repression targeting diaspora communities; it received support from the California Police Chiefs Association and immigrant-rights advocates, but drew extensive opposition from Hindu and civil-rights organizations concerned about bias, implementation, and First Amendment issues. Committee members discussed amendments to clarify cultural competency, diversity, and constitutional protections, and the bill passed as amended to Appropriations. After the hearing, the committee took final roll-call votes on the bills, with the consent items and SB 429, SB 256, and SB 509 moving forward, while SB 542 and SB 616 were also reported out on earlier motions.

Transcript Highlights:

• And those baskets are tied to hurricane-grade ropes, which are anchored into the seafloor.
• information, we might move that to larger plots at the center to try to work towards getting to a farm-scale
• The fourth step would be to do exactly that: to move that research onto a farm on a much larger scale
• I think that the scale of some of the adoption is going to require a lot of funding.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Agriculture met with a quorum present and heard three presentations focused on Florida aquaculture, agricultural nutrient reduction, and land preservation. First, clam farmer Tim Solano of Cedar Key described the economic and environmental importance of the state’s clam industry, noting Florida’s strong national production, the industry’s recovery role after the net ban, and the severe damage caused by recent hurricanes and red tide. He said the Dislocated Workers program helped farmers return to work and asked that existing state programs be written more broadly to include aquaculture. Oyster producer Canaan Greg of Pelican Oyster Company then discussed the growth of off-bottom oyster farming, the losses his industry suffered from Hurricane Michael and the pandemic, and the need for better access to recovery loans, student internships, local seed production, and waterfront protection. Members asked questions about leases, production, predators, and storm resilience, and the presenters emphasized that aquaculture is a sustainable, year-round industry that filters water and supports local economies. The committee next heard from UF/IFAS regional extension agent Dr. Bob Hockmouth on education, research, and extension efforts to reduce nitrogen in the Suwannee Valley Basin Management Action Plan area. He explained that the region’s agricultural load reduction target has increased from about 4.2 million to 5.8 million pounds of nitrogen, and that extension programs are helping farmers adopt practices such as precision fertilizer placement, soil moisture sensors, controlled-release fertilizer, petiole sap testing, and irrigation automation. He highlighted corn and watermelon as major examples, saying on-farm demonstrations and cost-share programs are essential because the equipment and technology are expensive. He reported substantial reductions from participating farms and said growers are generally cooperative when funding is available. Finally, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services presented an update on the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The program acquires development rights through voluntary conservation easements to keep working agricultural lands in production, protect water resources and wildlife habitat, and preserve taxable land without transferring ownership. The presenter said the program has expanded rapidly in the last two years, with more acreage acquired, faster application review, and more properties in the Florida wildlife corridor. He noted new online application and monitoring tools, a shortened review timeline, and stronger partnerships with federal and defense-related programs. Committee members asked about long-term maintenance responsibilities and the Board of Trustees approval process, and the presentation closed with support for continued funding and efficiency improvements before the committee adjourned without objection.