Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2284 is about results and accountability, using the dollars people already pay to get cleaner
• Under certain circumstances, they may be authorized to pay noncompliance fees to a port.
• At some point, we have to make it more expensive so we can consider building something here and paying
• Because tires have an average lifespan of 5 to 7 years, most consumers will only pay this fee once.
• We believe this proposal gives adequate time Most consumers will only pay this fee once.

Bills: HB2421 , HB1652 , HB2367 , HB2284

Committee: House Environment & Energy

Keywords: 6PPD, tires, environmental impact, public health, chemical regulation, HB1652, Salish Sea Protection and Marine Clean Fuels Act, marine fuel, low-sulfur fuel, sulfur emissions, ocean-going vessels, shipping, maritime pollution, air quality, particulate matter, Department of Ecology, port visit, regulated waters, fuel switching, vessel emissions

Transcript Highlights:

• And on these contracts, like you're paying to value vehicles, how much is that contract?
• And on these contracts, like you're paying to value vehicles, and how much is that contract?
• They're paying for vacations, paintball, whatever.
• In Section I, this is a pay plan appropriation request.
• This is to support implementation of the new pay plan. All right, thank you, members.

Committee: All ALC-PEER

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Besides, I know he's saying he pays an LBT, I pay one too for my business, but what—not necessarily what
• And then the other two are more affordable options that maybe we need to be paying more attention to.
• I want to pay three times per square foot of what my costs are here.
• So I'm paying a lot less per key, you know, per door for that. We don't have that in Florida.
• So I'm paying a lot less per key, you know, per door for that. We don't have that in Florida.

Committee: Senate Community Affairs

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs met with a quorum present and first took up SB 122, which would repeal Chapter 205 governing local business taxes while allowing municipalities that already levy a gross-receipts-based business tax to continue doing so, with limits on changing the tax rate. The sponsor’s proxy and committee members discussed whether local business taxes fund identifiable services, with supporters saying the bill would reduce burdens on businesses and opponents arguing it would remove a capped home-rule revenue source used for general services, economic development, inspections, fire and police support, and business regulation. The Florida Association of Counties and the Florida League of Cities opposed the bill, citing a statewide revenue loss and concern that costs would shift to residential taxpayers, while one member noted the bill should be considered in the context of broader property tax changes. SB 122 was reported favorably by a roll call vote, with Senators Leek, Passidomo, Pizzo, Trumbull, and Chair McClain voting yes and Senator Sharief voting no. The committee then held an extended informational panel on Florida’s housing shortage and affordability challenges. Dr. Samuel Staley said Florida is in a housing crisis driven primarily by insufficient supply, arguing that the state needs far more units each year, that local comprehensive plans and zoning often fail to prioritize housing, and that the state should focus more on measurable impacts, density, accessory dwelling units, smaller lot sizes, and other ways to let the market respond. Ann Ray of the Shimberg Center presented data showing increased single-family and multifamily construction but limited condo growth, highly concentrated new development in a handful of counties, and continued high cost burdens for renters, especially lower-income and older households. Leslie Deutsch of John Burns Research and Consulting said the national housing market is slow, Florida prices are easing but remain well above pre-pandemic levels, and affordability problems are being driven by land, construction, financing, and insurance costs; she urged more product diversity, including build-to-rent, townhomes, manufactured housing, and higher-density redevelopment tailored to local demographics. Members questioned the panel about density, vertical development, impact fees, construction costs, and incentives for local governments. Several senators said local governments need clearer direction or incentives to approve more housing, while others emphasized preserving local character and avoiding overdevelopment. The panel generally agreed that no single policy will solve the problem, but that Florida needs more housing types, more density in appropriate places, updated zoning and building codes, and a more market-responsive regulatory framework. After the presentations and discussion, the committee adjourned with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• And obviously when someone's sitting in prison, taxpayers are paying for that as well.
• Local jurisdictions simply don't have the tax base to pay for all of these positions.
• Pay for them.
• About three-fourths of those will require the city to pay for public defense services.
• For cities statewide, conservatively, we are paying today together about $40 million per year to pay

Summary: The committee received agency updates on several behavioral health and justice programs. The Health Care Authority reported that assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) has expanded from two counties to eight, with a ninth expected in December, and described AOT as a court-ordered, least-restrictive treatment model that depends on close coordination among courts, treatment providers, and local officials. The agency also reviewed Joel’s Law, which lets family members, guardians, conservators, or tribes petition for an initial involuntary detention when they disagree with a designated crisis responder’s decision. Judges Ferreira and Larson said petition use has increased significantly statewide and in Snohomish County, but many cases do not proceed beyond the initial detention stage; they also noted family frustration, disjointed processes, and bed shortages as ongoing issues. Committee members asked about expansion criteria, the law’s effectiveness, and how the system fits together with other mental health interventions. The Attorney General’s Office presented on the hate crimes and bias incidents hotline created by SB 5427. The hotline began a pilot in King, Clark, and Spokane counties on July 1, 2025, with a statewide launch planned for 2027. Officials said the advisory committee helped shape the referral process, intake questions, outreach materials, and public branding. In the first five months, the hotline received 301 reports, with roughly 45% from King County and about 38% from outside the pilot counties; 42% requested follow-up, and only about a quarter of those wanted law enforcement referral. Testimony emphasized that the hotline is non-emergency, anonymous if desired, and focused on referrals rather than investigation. Members asked about why callers do not seek law enforcement involvement, how the hotline compares with Oregon’s launch, and what kinds of incidents are being reported. The Office of Independent Investigations reported progress on its work investigating police deadly force fatalities. Director Roger Rogoff said the agency has grown to 66 employees, including 31 investigators, and has completed six fatality investigations, with two public final reports posted. He said the office now operates in Region 1 and plans to expand statewide as staffing allows, with a future east-side expansion dependent on additional investigators. He also said the office has 29 requests to review prior cases, but those reviews are time-intensive and limited to cases with new evidence. Committee members asked about staffing needs, local cooperation, and whether the office conducts parallel investigations; Rogoff said OII performs the criminal investigation, while agencies may still do administrative reviews. The committee then heard a lengthy panel on public defense caseload standards and funding. The Washington State Bar Association, Washington Defender Association, county representatives, and city representatives all discussed the new caseload standards and the implementation timeline. Speakers said the standards reflect modern public defense realities but warned that funding, attorney recruitment and retention, office space, and data collection remain major barriers. Survey results from county offices showed wide variation in readiness, with many counties uncertain about timelines and most citing lack of funding as the biggest obstacle; attorney attrition was also described as high. County and city representatives argued that the new standards will require far more attorneys and support staff, and that local governments cannot absorb the cost without substantial state funding. They urged the Legislature to increase state support, improve workforce pipelines, and address structural issues in the public defense system.

Transcript Highlights:

• Large travel agents with annual incomes over $250,000 pay a reduced B&O tax rate of 0.9%.
• Pay a reduced B&O tax rate of 0.9%.
• Smaller beneficiaries are those with annual incomes of 250,000 or less, and they pay a reduced BNO tax
• be a no tax rate of what. preferences, travel agents, and tour operators would pay the services and
• Once a disabled veteran or service member receives one of the grants and pays state sales and use tax

Summary: The committee met on December 3, 2025, with a quorum present and approved the September 17 minutes. Members first voted to suspend the 2026 JLARC lodging tax expenditure report for one year, based on staff’s explanation that the report is self-reported, not verified, and less useful than State Auditor accountability audits; the motion passed. The committee also approved renaming the JLARC I-900 subcommittee to the “Committee to Hear SAO Performance Audits,” while keeping the opening script noting that the performance audit process exists under Initiative 900. The committee then heard follow-up updates on two prior performance audits. The Department of Health presented a draft strategic management plan in response to findings on hospital inspections, complaints, adverse event review, and hospital data access. JLARC staff reiterated that 72% of hospital inspections were late, that DOH did not verify third-party inspection standards or review adverse event reports, and that complaint data suggested possible language-access barriers. DOH said it concurred with the recommendations, had improved on-time inspection compliance to about 49%, planned annual updates starting in July 2026, and would work on accreditation oversight, complaint-language access, and data accessibility, though members pressed for firmer deadlines and questioned the three-year timeline for language access improvements. The Liquor and Cannabis Board also reported on its cannabis market study recommendation. JLARC staff said the agency’s data were incomplete and unreliable, limiting oversight of production, recalls, tax collection, and diversion. LCB said it had improved its current CCRS system but still relied on self-reported data, and it presented a decision package for a new traceability system estimated at about $9 million over three fiscal years. LCB described a plant-tagging and serialization approach tied to production, processing, testing, and retail, but acknowledged it did not currently have sufficient staff to fully implement the system without additional funding. The committee also received briefings on JLARC’s recommendation-tracking tools and the 2024 public records reporting summary, including a high-level review of agency response rates, request volumes, costs, and litigation. Finally, JLARC presented the proposed final report on the Office of Privacy and Data Protection, concluding that OPDP meets its statutory responsibilities and has high user satisfaction, but that its mandate should be updated to better match its current capacity and focus; the committee adopted the report for distribution. The meeting then moved into the 2025 tax preference performance reviews, where JLARC staff summarized nine reviews and noted that the Citizens Commission on Tax Preference and Performance Measurement endorsed all 17 legislative auditor recommendations, with comments on seven. Early reviews discussed included natural gas transportation fuel preferences, travel agent and tour operator B&O rates, nonprofit low-income housing development, multipurpose senior centers, disabled veteran adaptive housing, and trade convention attendance, with staff and commissioners generally recommending continuation of some preferences, modification of others, and improved objectives or performance measures where needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• the local labor markets are paying for comparable work.
• But we are literally not paying our mortgage payment for OPEB.
• We have to pay for these costs.
• I did not do a live show, but I had always had to do a pre-record because the station has to pay the
• Some feel that it does, especially the developers that will have to pay for compensation.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And there's no fuel source that they have to pay for. They're creating instability.
• Yes, we have a model where we essentially pay rent to the store location.
• We pay a portion of their rent to help offset their costs.
• I can't pay my energy bill.
• Please pass this bill and... help us to pay our utility bills. Mr.

Bills: SB383 , SB1012 , SB1181 , SB1705 , SB2075 , SB2221 , SB2586 , SB2864 , SB2994

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: SB 383, ERCOT, Texas Utilities Code, interconnection, wind power facility, offshore wind, coastal wind, nearshore wind, Gulf of America, Texas coast, three marine leagues, electric grid, transmission line, distribution facility, renewable energy, battery storage, energy storage, grid access, power grid, electric service

Transcript Highlights:

• This year in our L.A.R. for some extra money to hire and pay them for up to four years of experience,
• Can't pay them on the Schedule C scale to keep up with other agencies that do so.
• We just, the way we pay them, we.
• But once they look at the fact that we're gonna pay them $53,000 for the first.
• I mean, you've got to pay cash for these tickets. Is that accurate? Yes.

Committee: House Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It simply doesn't pay enough.
• It's not worth it to my family, it's not worth it to my friends, if I don't have the support, the pay
• like that, but short of everybody gets, you know, this pay parity.
• And agencies are like, how are we supposed to pay for it? So... Great. Thank you for that.
• So many of us used it for personnel, many of us used it for pay raises.

Committee: House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're paying them $10 million a year, and their student load had dropped dramatically.
• need to come forward and get cemented so that these people can have some manufacturing and better-paying
• And my response was, you know, if you had a high school diploma and a certificate, I think a $12 pay
• While driver pay has increased, rapidly escalated...
• While driver pay has increased, rapidly escalating wages are not sustainable.

Summary: The Careers and Workforce Subcommittee met for its first meeting of the year, took roll, and heard member introductions centered on the importance of workforce pathways beyond the traditional four-year college route. Members repeatedly emphasized manufacturing, trades, rural workforce needs, apprenticeships, and helping students and adults find multiple paths to good jobs. The chair outlined the subcommittee’s focus on policies that build a skilled workforce and announced the day’s theme would be manufacturing, with presentations from the Florida Department of Commerce, the Florida Semiconductor Institute, and Fleet Force CDL training. Secretary Alex Kelly presented Florida’s manufacturing report, saying manufacturing is a major economic driver and that Florida has become the 10th largest state in manufacturing employment. He highlighted strong job multipliers, rapid growth in manufacturing GDP and establishments, the importance of logistics and ports, and the state’s small-business-heavy manufacturing base. He also stressed the aging manufacturing workforce, the need for modern skills such as robotics, cybersecurity, and data analytics, and the role of public-private partnerships, apprenticeships, and workforce education investments in supporting reshoring and industry growth. Dr. David Arnold described Florida’s semiconductor sector and the Florida Semiconductor Institute’s mission to grow research, workforce, and ecosystem development. He said semiconductors are strategically important, Florida ranks fifth nationally in semiconductor workforce, and the main bottleneck is mid-level technician talent rather than engineers or entry-level workers. He pointed to NeoCity, Valencia College, and other regional partnerships as models, and said the state needs more proactive planning, better instructor capacity, and stronger pathways from K-12 through postsecondary. Evan Agiloff of Fleet Force discussed Florida’s CDL shortage, saying trucking is essential to the supply chain, Florida has about 18,000 open CDL positions, and Fleet Force’s college-based model can quickly move students into middle-class jobs. Members asked about apprenticeships, CTE pathways, semiconductor training, infrastructure needs, and how to expand and better fund workforce programs; no votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• How does the system of paying the case management agency for the work that they're doing?
• When do you start paying them?
• When do you start paying<00:50:13.160><c> them?
• Or if it takes them 3 paying them?
• </c> deceased, then when do you start paying deceased, then when do you start paying them?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, approving the minutes and consent calendar, then moved to the regular calendar of administrative rules. Department of Energy rule 25-220 was postponed until June at the sponsor’s request so stakeholders would have more time to review revised language. Several Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid-related rules were then considered, including 25-240, 25-265, and 26-33, each of which drew staff comments mainly about expired rule provisions and the agencies’ reliance on federal law, the Medicaid state plan, or other manuals. The committee approved those rules after brief questions, with the agencies stating they were already operating under the relevant federal or state-plan authority and, in one case, that rulemaking was underway to update an expired citation. The most extended discussion was on HHS Bureau of Aging rule 25-304, which had an amended conditional approval request. Staff explained the amendments clarified how case management agencies accept or deny cases, how telehealth participation is evaluated, and that the department sets the timing for accepting or denying cases under its existing authority. Staff also noted a separate issue about whether reimbursement rates must be in rule, but said the agency had long interpreted the statute to allow its approach and that any change would likely require legislation rather than committee objection. A provider representative testified against parts of the rule, arguing the case management agencies should not be required to accept referrals before contacting the participant, that telehealth decisions for other providers should remain with those providers, and that the quality-management section was duplicative and burdensome. Committee members questioned whether the telehealth language merely allowed case managers to say a service fit the client’s plan or instead gave them authority over another provider’s delivery method. The agency responded that case managers may determine what services an individual needs, but should not control how another licensed provider delivers those services. The discussion continued with no final action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• taxes, and those without PILT pay no taxes at all?
• </c><00:18:55.000><c> no</c> pay taxes and those without PILT pay no pay taxes and those without PILT
• Those protected in are not paying taxes.
• </c> easement continue to pay taxes. easement continue to pay taxes.
• </c><00:19:14.240><c> taxes</c> they are continuing to pay taxes they are continuing to pay taxes on<

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <font color="aaaaaa">over navigable waters records, </font> <font color="aaaaaa">utility owners to pay
• <font color="aaaaaa">over navigable waters records, </font> <font color="aaaaaa">utility owners to pay
• Thank </font> <font color="aaaaaa">actually pay for the right of </font> <font color="aaaaaa">way.
• If we don't, we're </font> <font color="aaaaaa">not paying attention.
• If we don't, we're </font> <font color="aaaaaa">not paying attention.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> raise, well, shouldn't the state pay raise, well, shouldn't the state pay more?
• ,</c><00:56:29.119><c> if</c> because if someone else is paying, if because if someone else is paying
• We pay 25%.
• All other states pay more than nation. All other states pay more than we<01:39:20.880><c> do.
• </c><01:44:50.639><c> It's</c> pay for public schools either. It's pay for public schools either.

Committee: House Election Law

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To pay family leave insurance, to provide for definitions, to establish guidelines for pay leave insurance
• The bill affords insurers the... to pay family leave insurance, to provide for definitions, to establish
• guidelines for pay leave insurance, to provide for eligibility, to provide for an effective date, and

Committee: House Insurance

Summary: The House Insurance Committee met on Tuesday, March 31, with 11 members present for a quorum. The committee first took up House Bill 826, which would modernize insurance referral rules to allow referrals by website or email address rather than only by name or phone number. After adopting a technical amendment set, the bill’s sponsor’s representative said the measure had been worked out with independent agents and that prior concerns had been addressed; the committee reported HB 826 as amended without objection. The committee then considered House Bill 591, a bill creating a voluntary private-market paid family leave insurance product. The sponsor explained it would not create a state program or use taxpayer dollars, but would allow insurers to offer coverage for wage replacement tied to birth, adoption, caregiving, or military-related leave. The committee adopted a technical amendment and then a second amendment clarifying that benefit payments are not wages in lieu of workers’ compensation and do not interrupt claim prescription; after that, HB 591 was reported with amendments without objection. Before adjourning, the committee announced that House Bill 625 would be voluntarily deferred to the following week, and House Bills 751 and 771 would also be deferred until next week or possibly the next day if the sponsor provided notice. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our nurses, in order to recruit nurses, we have to pay nurses, and rightly so.
• and retain great nurses, which are critical to the care of the men and women in custody, we need to pay
• Increasing the base pay may come as a great shock to constituents.
• Increasing the base pay may come as a great shock to constituents.
• way the structure is now, it's tied to an index, and so every two years that index is referenced and pay

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Service

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several retirement and workforce-related bills. House Bill 2980 would place county correctional nurses and certain medical staff into Group 4 retirement. Representative Trino, Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, and nurse manager Leanne Cameron argued that correctional nurses work in dangerous, high-stress settings with frequent contact with incarcerated people, high rates of mental illness and substance use in the jail population, and significant workplace violence, and that the change would help recruitment and retention with limited statewide fiscal impact. The committee also heard Senate Bill 210, which would create a commission to study additional regular compensation and annual expenses for members of the General Court. Senator John Keenan said Massachusetts has high leadership stipends compared with other states and argued the current structure can affect independence and public trust. Representative O'Day testified on House Bill 2928 to extend Group 2 retirement to additional Department of Children and Families social workers, and SEIU 509 witnesses described frequent transport of children, crisis response, threats, assaults, and other high-risk duties that they said match Group 2 work. Additional testimony supported House Bill 2943 for DDS service coordinators and supervisors, with witnesses describing home visits in unsafe conditions, transport of vulnerable individuals, direct care during staffing crises, and exposure to violence. House Bill 2899 drew support from the Association of Social Work Boards for social work field placement grants, incentives for supervisors, and expanded retirement benefits for DCF social workers. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2613, a local retirement bill for Salem police officer Kathleen Roachville, who described a severe line-of-duty injury during an arrest involving a combative person in a mental health crisis. Finally, Susan Smith Campbell testified for reclassifying certain DYS administrative officers into Group 2 because of their direct involvement in restraints, assaults, and crisis management. After testimony concluded, the committee adjourned without taking any votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Would still be required to pay the difference in contributions they would have owed.
• Now our teachers that enroll would pay the difference between what they had paid in deductions since
• 2001 Would pay the difference between what they had paid in deductions since 2001 and what they would
• Public transit never pays for itself.
• Public transit never pays for itself.

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the amount of tax that somebody pays, that's what they get back.
• What is the percentage of reimbursement that Wisconsin pays for voucher school special ed?
• Listen, I've been a long-time advocate for paying for public education.
• There is a real cost to the state not paying its fair share for public education.
• So this reimbursement will pay for the training cost. And so this will become active this fall.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Finance

Keywords: 970, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Municipalities that participate in VERS pay for the employer share of pension costs for their employees
• Since members of Group G pay for the added cost of the Group G benefit, and this bill addresses a very
• Municipalities that participate<00:07:46.080><c> in</c><00:07:46.400><c> visas</c><00:07:46.960><c> pay
• </c><00:07:47.280><c> for</c><00:07:47.599><c> the</c> participate in visas pay for the participate in
• of group G pay for the added<00:08:28.720><c> cost</c><00:08:29.039><c> of</c><00:08:29.199><c> the<

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm sorry, I'm still, so if it's an EMS program, all the hospitals that are participating are paying
• So the children's hospitals are paying to use this as a quality and safety...
• So the children's hospitals are paying to use this as a quality and safety tool for plans accessible
• So you must be dependent on patient pay, insurance coverage, and maybe private... ...be dependent on
• patient pay, insurance coverage, and maybe private donations.

Committee: House Health and Mental Health

Summary: The Committee on Health and Mental Health first met in executive session and voted House Bill 2370, House Bill 3278, and House Bill 1638 do pass. HB 2370 passed 13-9, while HB 3278 passed 15-0 and HB 1638 passed 17-0. The committee then moved into public testimony. Senate Bill 1015, sponsored by Senator Nuremberg, was presented as a measure creating a legal process for assisted outpatient treatment for adults with serious mental illness who are at risk of deterioration, hospitalization, or harm. Supporters, including the Missouri Behavioral Health Council and the Missouri Association of Public Administrators, said it would reduce hospitalization and incarceration and improve access to care. The senator and witnesses emphasized collaboration with hospitals and the Department of Mental Health, and no opposition was offered. The committee also heard a detailed presentation on the STARS program from SSM Health representatives, explaining it as a Missouri-based EMS and pediatric emergency planning system that uses physician-approved, electronic care plans for children with complex needs. Members asked about costs, access, and how the program differs from the bill discussed previously; witnesses said the program is free for EMS and emergency access, but hospitals that write plans pay implementation and subscription fees. House Bill 2903, by Representative Mayhew, would give county and district hospitals relief from certain public-entity requirements, including some Sunshine Law-related burdens, board qualifications, and financial reporting timelines, to help them compete with private hospitals. Supporters from Phelps Health said the bill would reduce administrative burden and protect proprietary information; there was no opposition. Finally, House Bill 3379, by Representative Dolan, would expand and strengthen Missouri’s employee disqualification and mandated reporting rules for abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of vulnerable adults. The bill adds more mandated reporters, including bank personnel and first responders, creates penalties for knowingly failing to report, and requires quicker DSS follow-up to reporters. DHSS supported the bill, citing recent financial exploitation complaints, while the Missouri Bankers Association said it supports the goal but wants to work on the mandatory reporting language so banks are not exposed to liability for situations they cannot readily detect. No formal opposition was presented, and the committee adjourned after the hearing.