Transcript Highlights:

• So let me start off by kind of giving you a little bit of overview of career and technical education
• So these can be nine hours, 12 hours, or 30 hours, depending on the length of the degree programs.
• So these can be nine hours, 12 hours, or 30 hours, depending on the length of the course.
• This is a quality of life that they want to be part of.
• We're one of only five institutions in Florida participating in Operation Next powered by Lyft.

Committee: Senate Education Postsecondary

Summary: The Education Postsecondary Committee met to hear an overview of Florida career and technical education (CTE) from Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell and presentations from Big Bend Technical College and Santa Fe College. O’Farrell described Florida’s CTE structure, including career clusters, postsecondary program types, enrollment and completion growth, apprenticeship expansion, and the state’s credentials review process. He said postsecondary CTE enrollment is near 480,000 students and completions reached a record 76,806, with strong growth in nursing, law enforcement, EMT, and other public-safety credentials. He also discussed the CTE audit, which uses retention/success, employment or continued education, and labor-market demand metrics; programs not meeting thresholds would eventually require phase-out plans beginning in 2026. He highlighted the workforce development capitalization grant as a major driver of program expansion and facility renovation, and answered questions about business outreach, construction trades, apprenticeships, and space-industry training. Shelby McCall of Big Bend Technical College described how the college responded to hurricanes, mill closures, and regional economic disruption by expanding rural workforce training. She highlighted aluminum welding, millwright, welding technology, health sciences, and a new advanced manufacturing facility funded by state grants and local partnerships, along with a new LPN-to-RN bridge program. She said the college has strong placement and certification results and is working with employers such as Lippert, NAMO, and others to align training with local demand. Senator Simon praised the college’s role in Taylor County’s recovery and workforce development. Dr. Paul Brody of Santa Fe College said state workforce grants have helped the college expand nursing, skilled trades, apprenticeship, automotive, diesel, and manufacturing programs, including partnerships with Bradford County Technical College, UF Health, Habitat for Humanity, and local employers. He reported growth in CTE enrollment, nursing credentials, apprenticeship enrollment, and job placement rates, and described new efforts in semiconductor training, CDL training, and a charter school model that combines high school, an AS degree, and industry credentials. The committee took no formal action beyond hearing the presentations and adjourned after Senator Berman moved to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• OF RULE UPDATES.
• OF THEM.
• A BREAKDOWN OF HOURS THAT WERE SUBMITTED TO US OVER THE LAST TWO QUARTERS FISCAL YEAR 24 25 THIS IS HOW
• SO, WE ARE SEEING APPLICATIONS COME IN WITH THAT NEW CATEGORY OF HOURS AND IT ALSO EXPANDED THE QUALIFIED
• TWENTY FIVE HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE IS NOW REQUIRED FOR RAIN PARTICIPANTS AND THE VOLUNTEER SERVICE

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He left us in the care of his in-laws and even took on extra hours for many months in an attempt to support
• Many of these nursing facilities depend on Medicaid reimbursement to operate.
• through that pregnancy to make sure I saved every ounce of money Hour of paid time off, vacation time
• of sick leave for every hour worked.
• submits the application so that they can manage their own business operations and address any loss of

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• He explained that the bill is intended to address unsafe and unauthorized operation of OHVs, especially
• The man of the hour. I'm about ready to—yes, please. The man of the hour, too sweet to be sad.
• We have about 800 megawatts right now of operating storage that we develop, that we own.
• The next section of the bill addresses the point at which the facility can begin operation, and it's
• Well, we actually have another hour. This is a—I'm out of time. Oh, you're out of time.

Committee: Senate Environment, Energy & Transportation

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on energy, public safety, and environmental cleanup. House Bill 455 would create a historic preservation license plate to raise funds and awareness for Delaware preservation efforts, and House Bill 471 would tighten rules and penalties for off-highway vehicles on shared private roads, with golf carts excluded. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 439, the Truth in E-Bike Marketing Act, would require clearer disclosures when selling electric mopeds and electric motorcycles so consumers understand classification, power, and licensing/insurance requirements. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 407, related to the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act and brownfields, would shift funding for brownfield cleanup from the original realty transfer tax approach to a dedicated share of the hazardous substance cleanup fund and raise civil penalties for fraudulent acts. The committee also approved the June 18, 2026 minutes once quorum was reached. Most of the meeting centered on House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 233, as amended, a large-load/data center bill intended to protect ratepayers from costs tied to massive new electricity users. The sponsor and Public Advocate said PJM’s warnings about a coming reliability backstop auction made it urgent to establish a Delaware framework now, requiring large energy users to sign utility agreements, cover their share of transmission, distribution, and capacity costs, and comply with curtailment and other protections. Supporters from environmental groups and some labor and business voices said the bill was needed to prevent cost shifts to households and small businesses, while opponents argued it was being rushed, could deter investment, and might unintentionally affect other industries; several asked for more time and clearer definitions. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee also took up House Bill 470, which would authorize Delmarva Power, with PSC approval, to build and operate utility-owned battery storage and spread costs across the customer base. The sponsor and Delmarva said the bill would improve reliability quickly and help avoid outages, while the chair expressed concern that the state had not yet fully studied whether utility-owned or competitively procured storage is the best model, noting a recent SEU storage study and broader policy questions. Supporters said utility storage could be deployed faster and help with peak shaving, while others urged a competitive process; the transcript cuts off before any final action on HB 470.

Transcript Highlights:

• The fear that they felt changed the heartbeat of our community, and it was because of ICE and their operation
• , and it was because of ICE and their<00:43:40.200><c> operation.
• without enough of families are operating without enough of it.<00:51:40.760><c> I</c><00:51:40.920><
• We just spent however many hours dealing with protecting the rights of those who were unfairly targeted
• People can be held without charge for up to 36 or 40 hours depending on the circumstances of pending

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:55:33.480><c> our</c> to operate Firearms are some of our to operate Firearms are some of our
• </c><01:52:10.119><c> of</c> prosecuting attorney within 24 hours of prosecuting attorney within 24 hours
• But within 48 hours of that emergency, they still have to come to the AGs.
• But within 48 hours of that emergency, they still have to come to the AGs.
• ><c> that</c> operating in the state of Hawaii that operating in the state of Hawaii that had<02:29:15.279

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee met on March 13, 2025, and took up several firearms and fireworks measures. On SB 227, which would create an illegal fireworks enforcement division in the Department of Law Enforcement and appropriate funds, DLE supported the bill, saying fireworks enforcement has become a full-time job requiring dedicated staff rather than a collateral-duty task force. Members discussed whether the bill and the related task force bill were both needed; DLE said yes, explaining that the new division would provide full-time state employees while the task force funding covers interagency costs such as transportation, storage, overtime, and personnel. Testimony on SB 227 was reported as 12 in support and 6 in opposition. On SB 222, which would fund the illegal fireworks task force and extend its sunset to June 30, 2030, DLE and the Honolulu Police Department supported the measure, emphasizing continued enforcement pressure and interagency coordination. An opponent from the Libertarian Party of Hawaii argued the bill was a waste of time, criticized fireworks prohibition as cultural overreach, and performed a song in opposition. Representative Shimizu asked about results from the extra enforcement effort, and DLE said enforcement has driven up street prices and made investors think twice, which they described as a goal of pricing people out of the market. The chair reported 13 testimonies in support and 6 in opposition. The committee then heard SB 1324, a more comprehensive fireworks bill that would revise definitions and penalties, create first- and second-degree fireworks offenses, add infractions, and increase penalties for serious injury or death. DLE and the Attorney General strongly supported it, saying the bill would improve enforcement, address black-market activity, and help prosecutors when fireworks have already exploded and evidence is destroyed. The Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing existing laws already punish these offenses and that the real issue is enforcement; the office also raised constitutional concerns about the bill’s concurrent civil infraction and criminal trial process. Honolulu Police supported the bill, while the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office said the alternative definitions would help in cases involving exploded versus seized fireworks. The chair noted 17 testimonies in support, 7 in opposition, and 3 comments, and members discussed whether the bill could be amended to address the public defender’s concerns. The committee also began hearing SB 308, which would expand the state’s magazine-capacity restrictions to firearms with detachable magazines over 30 rounds, with a grandfathering provision for certain magazines obtained before January 1, 2026. DLE supported the bill as a fair balance that would grandfather existing magazines while preventing new high-capacity acquisitions. Opposition testimony from Jerry Yuan of the Pool, Oil, Rifle, and Pistol Club argued the proposal was another shifting restriction and opposed magazine bans generally. The hearing continued with additional testimony not fully captured in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Students with 18 credit hours were 78% of the time graduating college in 4 years or less.
• with 30 hours of dual credit that they were likely to graduate in 4 years or less.
• And instead of teaching, they're filling their hours with more and more research and publishing of their
• </c> operation of this higher education operation of this higher education organization. organization
• </c><01:46:05.080><c> operation</c> It's just the the expense of operation It's just the the expense

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met for its first summer interim meeting, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and took roll. The first presentation came from Jerry Gels, principal of Ignite Institute in Erlanger, who focused on the rising cost of dual credit. He said dual credit tuition has increased from about $150 to $290 for a three-credit course over roughly five years, which he argued is discouraging participation, especially for working-class and low-income students. He cited Ignite data and broader college outcomes to argue dual credit improves college persistence, shortens time to degree, and reduces student debt, noting that many of his students enter college with substantial credit and that low-income students at Ignite have increasingly participated after targeted efforts and scholarship use. He also said the instructional labor is largely paid by county school systems, so he questioned the size of the tuition increase and said the committee should examine how the costs are being set and whether college tuition should be stabilizing as more students arrive with credits already earned. Members asked about who pays for dual credit, the role of state scholarship support, and whether tuition varies by institution. Gels said students in his district generally pay the dual credit cost themselves, though some districts may cover it, and he noted the dual credit scholarship now covers fewer classes than before. He said the price appears to be set centrally rather than varying by university, and he emphasized that the higher cost is creating barriers even though the courses are taught largely by local teachers on school payrolls. He also described Ignite’s efforts to expand access for free- and reduced-lunch students, saying participation among that group rose from 27% with no dual credit to about 90-92% taking at least one dual credit class. The committee then heard from the Goldwater Institute, represented by Michael Frazier and Dr. Tim Minella by Zoom. They argued Kentucky’s public universities should face stronger accountability and transparency, citing declining public confidence in higher education, rising costs, and what they described as administrative growth and research spending that does not clearly benefit students or the Commonwealth. They proposed requiring a 10-year accounting of staffing growth by category, comparing it to enrollment and low-income Kentucky enrollment, and limiting non-STEM faculty teaching releases for research unless approved under a baseline consent process. They also criticized certain university-funded research projects as examples of misdirected spending and said public reporting should distinguish Kentucky residents from non-residents more clearly, pointing to a reported decline in low-income in-state undergraduate enrollment. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> operators in terms of managing leech 8. operators in terms of managing leech 8.
• A lot of hours, but it is time spent.
• </c> it and operate it right out of the OCA. it and operate it right out of the OCA.
• </c><01:26:04.320><c> Um</c> hundreds of hours of of resources.
• Um hundreds of hours of of resources.

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A construction worker can put in long hours of hard work on a public works project, expecting a fair
• With me to testify today is Matthew Kremens with the International Union of Operating Engineers and Elmer
• International Union of Operating Engineers and Elmer Lazzardi. No, this is not Elmer Lazzardi.
• Matt Kremens is here on behalf of the California Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers.
• day, individuals that are part of a larger employment area, employment operation, when there is something

Committee: House Labor and Employment

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm going to keep this brief, one because of the hour, two because I forgot my reading glasses.
• As we know, we have spent many hours deliberating the budget, which we know impacts many of our food
• Chris McHaley here on behalf of the City of Shafter.
• Isha Ayers, on behalf of the City of Bakersfield and the City of Thousand Oaks, in support.
• of CCTA.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Businesses often face higher operating costs than in other parts of the country.
• And so it's, you know, it's one factor of many that influences their business's operations.
• number of hours worked in Minnesota in a given year.
• The next component of raw labor is average hours worked annually. about maxing out.
• So all I talk about the average hours worked annually except that it's part of the math that you need

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll just note there are the very last thing in central office operations is the Office of the Inspector
• I'll just note there are the very last thing in central office operations is the Office of the Inspector
• I'll just note there are the very last thing in central office operations is the Office of the Inspector
• Chair, members, this is our last big section of the presentation on DHS program integrity operations.
• </c> operations um the DHS office of operations um the DHS office of Inspector<01:07:29.039><c> General

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Within the time prescribed by law, the same having arrived in the office of the governor at the hour
• It has been moved and seconded that the Senate recess until the hour of 1:30 p.m. today.
• rest of state government. for legislative operations, just like the rest of the state government.
• President, I move that the Senate adjourn until the hour of 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 2nd, 2026.
• President, I move that the Senate adjourn until the hour of 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 2nd, 2026.

Summary: The Senate convened with 31 members present, approved the March 31 journal, and moved through committee reports, gubernatorial messages, and House messages before taking up several bills on final reading. Among the measures considered were House Bill 930 on campaign finance, House Bill 949 on consolidating the STEM Action Center with the Workforce Development Council, House Bill 950 providing a one-time appropriation for a consultant to support Medicaid review work, House Bill 952 revising the Secretary of State’s budget, Senate Bill 1444 for public school support, House Bill 940 revising Idaho Digital Learning Academy policy, Senate Bill 1438 funding the IDLA budget, House Bill 516 on parental rights and education, and House Bill 897 on the Idaho information technology equipment sales tax exemption. The chamber also received and referred additional bills, including House Bill 968 and several appropriations and committee reports. House Bill 930 passed after debate centered on campaign finance transparency, separate campaign accounts, limits on investments, and requiring self-loans over $1,000 to be deposited into campaign accounts. Supporters said it would improve accountability; opponents questioned enforcement and warned against weaponizing campaign reporting. House Bill 949 passed with discussion of consolidating STEM and workforce functions, shifting funds and staff, and reducing administrative costs. House Bill 950 passed as a one-time $200,000 appropriation for a consultant to assist the legislature’s Medicaid review panel. House Bill 952 passed with a small reduction to the Secretary of State’s ongoing general fund budget. Senate Bill 1444 passed despite objections that the school budget underfunds district health insurance and shifts costs to local districts; supporters emphasized federal fund authority and other budget adjustments. House Bill 940 passed after extensive debate on narrowing IDLA’s mission, ending state support for certain uses, limiting elementary and online participation, and reducing enrollments and costs. Senate Bill 1438, the companion IDLA appropriation bill, also passed after debate over the size of the cut, the use of the Public Education Stabilization Fund, and whether the budget should include a cap on enrollments; supporters said it matched the policy changes in House Bill 940, while opponents argued it was too restrictive and could harm students’ access to courses. House Bill 516, dealing with parental rights and education and teacher-union-related payroll and activity restrictions, passed after a lengthy and sharply divided debate over whether it protected taxpayer dollars or unfairly targeted educators and unions. House Bill 897, as amended, was then taken up for final consideration on the Idaho information technology equipment sales tax exemption, with the sponsor explaining that the bill narrows the exemption to internal server equipment and limits it to 20 years in response to changing data-center trends and water-use concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill implements the transition of the Office of Cyber Defense Coordination from the Department of
• The bill implements the transition of the Office of Cyber Defense Coordination from the Department of
• The vast majority of this language is a direct copy of the enabling legislation of the Office of Cyber
• The continuing evolution of cybersecurity threats sort of demands that we have this kind of coordination
• final action on bills heard today within 24 hours of the hearing.

Bills: SB156 , SB467

Committee: Assembly Government Affairs

Keywords: gun violence, firearm safety, special counsel, data collection, community initiatives, grants, Attorney General, public safety, suicide prevention, cybersecurity, information security, state agency, data protection, confidentiality, 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Item 1A, the appointment of Brian Bishop as Director of the Division of Adult Parole Operations, Department
• Parole Operations and my former team, the Office of Correctional Safety.
• The first question I have is: as the director of the Adult Operations Program that you oversee, what
• So some of our parole offices are covering areas that are a couple hours away.
• sure that, you know, we have adequate energy supply to maintain operations in the event of emergencies

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met to consider several governor’s appointments and routine agenda items. It first approved, on call, appointments not required to appear for Olivia May Assuncion to the Commission on Disability Access, William Adams to the California Exposition and State Fair Board of Directors, and two California Law Revision Commission nominees, with one of the law revision appointments drawing a split vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees and floor acknowledgments before moving to appointments required to appear. Brian Bishop, nominated to lead the Division of Adult Parole Operations at CDCR, testified that he would emphasize public safety, accountability, rehabilitation, and staff well-being. In questioning, senators focused on risk assessment for higher-risk parolees, GPS monitoring, coordination with local law enforcement, victim protections, supervision of unhoused parolees, and oversight of private reentry/housing contractors. Bishop said DAPO uses data-driven supervision, risk tools, compliance sweeps with law enforcement, exclusion zones and administrative transfers to protect victims, and contract monitoring through invoices, site visits, and utilization reports. Public commenters from reentry and justice organizations supported his confirmation, and the committee voted 5-0 to send the nomination to the full Senate. Sarah Larson, nominated to direct CDCR’s Facilities Management and Construction, described her CDCR background and said she wanted to help modernize the department’s aging infrastructure to support staff and incarcerated people. Senators asked about aligning facilities with a declining prison population, cooling and heat mitigation, safety during construction, prison closures such as Norco, disaster planning, and how closed facilities are maintained or could be reopened. Larson said CDCR has reduced its footprint, is piloting cooling upgrades at several sites, maintains closed facilities in cold shutdown with minimal upkeep, and uses emergency planning and mutual aid for disasters. She also said the department is exploring infrastructure master planning and more substantial, targeted improvements, and the committee again heard supportive public testimony before voting 5-0 to advance her nomination to the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill actually defines the hours of 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. and provides that an applicable time zone is
• be able to do any of the other forms of communication outside of that call, that do not-call window.
• or your emails or different communications delayed for hours and hours.
• none of the more intrusive communications can be permitted at the private hours between 9 and 8.
• This is more of an obligation of the clip.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present and heard several insurance- and financial-services-related bills. HB 315 was temporarily postponed. The chair also noted that, following the speaker’s remarks, members should expect additional special meetings as the committee investigates insurance-related issues and seeks transparency and the truth. HB 497, relating to nonprofit agricultural organization health coverage, was presented as a way to give Florida Farm Bureau members—especially farmers, ranchers, and small business owners—more affordable health coverage options. An amendment added statutory placement changes, disclosures that the product is not commercially sold, and annual financial audits. Members discussed ACA-related protections, fraud, and insolvency concerns, and the bill received support from Florida Farm Bureau and was reported favorably 16-0. HB 379, the annual securities package, updated exemptions, foreign jurisdiction rules, the Florida Invest Local Exemption, merger-and-acquisition broker rules, fingerprinting requirements, and technical issues in the Securities Guarantee Fund. Three amendments clarified entity definitions and fingerprint/live-scan requirements; the bill drew support from industry and OFR and passed favorably 17-0. The PCS for HB 147 on consumer debt collection clarified prohibited communications during nighttime hours, with the sponsor and supporters explaining the intent was to allow email while restricting other forms of contact and reduce litigation over passive communications. Members and public witnesses discussed ambiguity in the wording, and the sponsor said further cleanup language may still be needed; the PCS was reported favorably 17-0. HB 655 on pet insurance and wellness programs created a regulatory framework for pet insurance, drew support from industry and humane society representatives, and passed favorably 17-0. HB 367 on home and service warranty association financial requirements allowed financial compliance through multiple contractual liability insurance policies and alternative parent-company documentation; an amendment corrected cross-references and duplicative language, and after questions about consumer protections and insolvency, the bill was reported favorably 17-0. Finally, HB 7003 preserved a public-records exemption for sensitive financial technology sandbox application materials; members discussed the sandbox concept and possible future issues, but no amendments were taken and the bill passed favorably 17-0. The meeting adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, we have received hundreds of hours of specialized hands-on health and safety training.
• In general, we don't think about thousands and thousands of hours of human work. members, thank you.
• In general, we don't think about thousands and thousands of hours of human work. Of course.
• Workers like Kern can spend eight-hour days checking for work only to find less than an hour of pay.
• less than an hour of pay.

Summary: The committee heard several labor-related bills, with testimony largely focused on worker protections, AI, workplace safety, and employment access. AB 1697 would delay implementation of AB 692 on employer debt traps by one year to allow more time to address collective bargaining concerns; it drew support from the NFL and no opposition. AB 2495 would expand prohibitions on immigration-related threats used by employers to intimidate workers, with strong support from immigrant-rights, labor, and legal aid groups describing coercion and fear among undocumented and new-arrival workers; it advanced on a divided roll with some members voting no or not voting. AB 2511 would require DIR to study pay disparities between behavioral health and medical-surgical providers, with supporters arguing low reimbursement drives provider shortages and opponents warning of duplicative reporting, proprietary-data concerns, and added administrative burden; it was moved forward to the Health Committee. AB 2157 would make permanent the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund Pilot Program, with displaced refinery workers and labor/environmental groups supporting the bill as a needed transition tool; it passed to Appropriations. AB 2530 would require 60-day notice for public-employer layoffs, relocations, and closures, narrowed by amendment to public agencies; supporters said public workers deserve the same notice protections as private-sector workers, while some opposition sought clarification, and the bill passed to Judiciary. The committee also heard AB 2488, which would direct DIR and UC to study Cal/OSHA inspector vacancies and recruitment pathways. Supporters, including a laid-off refinery worker and WorkSafe, said chronic understaffing has weakened enforcement and that experienced workers could fill the gap; the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 2545 would create an EDD study of AI-related workforce displacement and safety-net impacts, with labor and tech-policy supporters warning of large-scale job loss and the need for data to plan for unemployment and other public programs; business groups opposed the reporting and task-force structure but acknowledged the issue, and the bill passed to Privacy and Consumer Protection. AB 2027 would restrict employers and vendors from using worker data to train or deploy AI systems that replace workers, while limiting collection to what is necessary for employment administration; supporters framed it as a privacy and anti-displacement measure, and opponents argued the definitions were too broad and could hinder useful workplace technologies. The bill advanced to Privacy and Consumer Protection. Later, AB 2095, the Fair Chance Act bill, was presented to clarify and strengthen rules limiting conviction-history screening in hiring, including written explanations and protections for applicants seeking promotions or new roles with current employers. Supporters described ongoing discrimination against people with records and the need for a real second chance, while opponents said the bill was too broad, added burdens, and could conflict with existing statewide rules. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on AB 2095, but the discussion centered on balancing reentry opportunities with employer concerns about individualized assessments and safety-based hiring decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's part of the Columbia Basin, the federal Columbia Basin Project, operated by the Bureau of Reclamation
• Those are about the diameter of a strand of hair.
• The next generation coming back decided to pivot to direct marketing on some of these operations.
• As of last week, one of those farms was sold.
• A common theme of my talk today, Of different areas and I'll talk about two of them today.

Committee: Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And what role does this large board play with kind of the day-to-day operations of the Office of Faith
• The director and chief of staff runs day-to-day operations, oversees, and provides support to the council
• And, you know, if every one of those organizations were to cease operations tomorrow, we would have a
• of them.
• Chair, point of personal privilege, I've got two of my kids in the back of the room.

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met with a quorum and considered a series of bills, most of them receiving favorable reports. SB 132, as amended, would require the Department of Financial Services to contract for a study on whether Florida should recognize gold and silver as legal tender; an amendment advanced the report deadline to December 1, 2025, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 1050, also amended, expands the intellectual and developmental disabilities managed care pilot program statewide, emphasizes that enrollment is voluntary, adds transparency and reporting requirements for APD, creates a statewide family care council, and requires related studies and coordination; it was reported favorably after supportive testimony about reducing the APD wait list. SB 820 codifies the Office of Faith and Community in the Governor’s office, and the bill drew extended debate over church-state separation and concerns about political activity by the office; despite opposition from several senators, it was reported favorably. SB 1060 creates a joint legislative oversight committee for Medicaid financing and operations, with supporters citing the size of the program and the need for stronger legislative review; it passed favorably. SB 7032 presumes Medicaid eligibility for permanently disabled individuals receiving certain long-term services during redetermination, to prevent gaps in care, and was reported favorably with broad support. SB 12, a claim bill for a minor injured in a DCF-related case, was also reported favorably without opposition. The committee also approved several infrastructure and tax-related measures. SJR 318 proposes an ad valorem exemption for certain tangible personal property used in agriculture or agritourism, such as equipment and tractors, and was reported favorably with support from agricultural and business groups. SB 818, as amended, revises utility relocation funding for public road and rail projects, shifting the financing structure after constitutional concerns were raised and adding a $50 million grant program; it passed after discussion of the impact on local governments and utilities. SB 1348 modernizes DMV services through tax collectors, adds a distracted driving course option, bans appointment scalping, and extends certain disabled parking permit terms; it was reported favorably. SB 1664 requires voter reapproval of local taxes, including tourist development taxes and local option sales taxes, when they expire, with special rules for taxes tied to revenue bonds; it drew significant debate over impacts on tourism-dependent counties and was reported favorably despite opposition from some members and local government groups. SB 1050, SB 820, SB 1060, SB 7032, SB 12, SJR 318, SB 818, SB 1348, and SB 1664 all received favorable committee votes, and the meeting ended with final missed-vote requests and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• The CS for HB 1003 makes it illegal for an operator of a motor vehicle or passenger to possess an open
• This does not apply either to a passenger of a vehicle in which Representative Black: a driver is operating
• one hour of getting high.
• It's to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of a chemical or controlled substance to the
• I'm Representative Daley: Certainly open to tweaking it and saying, let's say it's within 72 hours of