Transcript Highlights:

• We have requests to double what is in the current budget, and I know that I have met with some of our
• We have requests to double what is in the current budget, and I know that I have met with some of our
• Now, yesterday we talked about how much does it, in my budget sub five committee, our budget sub five
• You mentioned the conversation you had in the budget committee about $45,000 or more.
• By relieving pressure on operating budgets, developments can support more private financing.

Committee: House Housing and Community Development

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because if not, we've got some serious cuts to the state budget if we don't have, if we don't get this
• We're going to absorb this cost in our budget.
• I haven't asked for an increase in my budget the last two years.
• Y'all were the budget project before? Yes. Okay, so I thought.
• But when you talk about the budget bills or anything that's longer, it becomes a very difficult task.

Bills: HB88 , HB181 , HB210 , HB250 , HB486 , HB529 , HB544 , HB639 , HB996 , HB1036 , HB1071 , HB1113

Committee: House House and Governmental Affairs

Keywords: local law, special bill, legislative process, transparency, election amendment, Medicaid, SNAP, fraud detection, income tax, legislative auditor, data sharing, state revenue, lobbying, public service, ethics, statewide officials, compensation, disclosure requirements, government employment, financial disclosure

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, this amendment actually includes, uh, as you all may have heard, the governor released, uh, budget
• Part of higher education's budget recommendations actually included a lot of policy.
• Part of higher education's budget recommendations actually included a lot of policy.
• Part of higher education's budget recommendations actually included a lot of policy.
• Part of higher education's budget recommendations actually included a lot of policy.

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• this school board had been on the board for 22 years, and she said to the media that knowing the budget
• The legislators you see up here who do the state budget are not required to have any kind of training
• This is not sound budgeting.
• It's not our job to really look into Tolleson's finances and budget when we have to deal with our own
• budget in this body.

Committee: House House Education Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several school-related bills, with much of the discussion focused on governance, transparency, and accountability in school districts. House Bill 2318 would impose term limits on school district governing board members in districts with at least 250 students, while allowing county superintendents to appoint a term-limited member to fill a vacancy. Supporters argued it would bring fresh ideas and prevent entrenched leadership; opponents said voters should decide. The bill received a due pass recommendation after a divided roll call. House Bill 2312 would allow certain patriotic youth groups to address students during school hours and require equal access for those groups in school forums. The sponsor said it was intended to promote programs such as FFA, Scouts, and similar organizations. Some members objected that it would take instructional time and was not truly permissive if access was granted to one group, and the bill nonetheless received a due pass recommendation. House Bill 2320 would require school districts to hire a registered independent municipal advisor before calling a bond election and for each successful bond issue. The sponsor and supporters said this could reduce underwriting fees and save taxpayers money, while some members raised questions about costs if a bond failed and whether the bill should be narrowed; it passed with a due pass recommendation after several members voted present or no. The committee also approved House Bill 2376, which would bar districts from buying or leasing school property while a charter or private school is still operating there, and House Bill 2378, which tightens conflict-of-interest rules for the School Facilities Oversight Board by barring the architect and engineer members from having school-construction business. Both were framed by the sponsor as responses to concerns raised in Tolleson Union-related testimony and reporting. House Bill 2379, as amended, requires school board members to complete biennial training approved by the Auditor General, to be offered by county superintendents or ADE, with counties able to contract with others; supporters called it needed training, while opponents raised concerns about unfunded mandates, inclusion of ASBA, and charter schools. It received a due pass recommendation. Finally, House Bill 2380 would require board and subcommittee meetings to be held in-district, preserve online access to materials, and require public approval of out-of-state travel, with reimbursement if retroactive approval is denied. Rural districts and others raised concerns about flexibility, executive-session confidentiality, and administrative burden, but the bill was discussed with amendments and public access concerns rather than a final recorded action in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• talking about staff, And when we talk about revenue, especially as we've been talking about state budget
• We're operating extremely tight budgets. We cannot sustain this.
• So I think it's a critical... ...neither of which may have factored into their budgets.
• And so the budget and policy center, their recent statistics were that providers are only getting paid
• We are also a member of the ECE Budget Coalition.

Summary: The hearing focused first on how wildfires and other disasters affect child care providers, families, and early education infrastructure. State officials from the Department of Social Services and Department of Education described disaster response and preparedness efforts, including shelter coordination, licensing outreach, emergency waivers, distribution of supplies, and the statewide child care disaster plan. Testimony from providers and advocates emphasized major gaps in recovery funding, insurance coverage, rebuilding support, mental health services, and coordination with local rebuild plans. Several witnesses urged more dedicated disaster-recovery funding for child care facilities and suggested statutory changes, including allowing greater flexibility for rebuilding costs and requiring early childhood programs to be included in local disaster planning. The second panel addressed immigration enforcement and its impact on child care. Advocates from the Children's Partnership, Every Child California, and CHIRLA said enforcement activity is causing families to keep children home, disrupting continuity of care, reducing enrollment, and creating fear and trauma for children and providers. They argued that immigrant and mixed-status families need clearer protections, privacy safeguards, legal support, trauma-informed guidance, and safe-haven policies for child care settings. Speakers also stressed that the child care workforce is heavily immigrant and that recent state laws such as AB 49 and AB 495 will require funding, training, and technical assistance to implement effectively. Public commenters, including child care providers, described personal experiences with fire damage, displacement, permit delays, lost income, and the emotional toll of serving families during crises. Others described how immigration enforcement has made parents afraid to attend events, drop off children, or remain connected to providers. Committee members repeatedly noted that child care is often overlooked in emergencies and asked state officials how child care systems are being integrated into disaster planning and how local and state agencies can better coordinate. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And for the budget year, FY 27, it is $9.50 per barrel.
• For the budget year FY 26, we're now expecting 2.7% growth in GRT versus 3.4% in the prior forecast.
• We've taken down the price forecast for oil very significantly in the budget year.
• What that means is a new money estimate of $484 million in the upcoming budget year, that's FY27.
• At the very bottom of the list are our significant cuts to agency budgets.

Committee: House Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• I move to suspend Assembly Rule 96 to withdraw the following bills from the budget... Mr.
• I move to suspend Assembly Rule 96 to withdraw the following bills from the budget I move to suspend
• And there's a whole list that I presented at the Budget Committee.
• If not, they should be free to choose a provider that meets their needs and their budgets.
• Support, support, minimum training for all school board members on budgeting and finance.

Summary: The Assembly convened, initially lacked a quorum, then returned to session with prayer, pledge, and a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk following news of his shooting. Members then handled a series of procedural motions, including suspending rules, moving several bills to the inactive file, re-referring bills to committees, and authorizing committee meetings. The chamber also observed adjournments in memory for several individuals, including Ermilo Don Rodas, John Burton, Nina Chomsky, and Barbara “Bobby” Samperey. On the floor file, members considered and passed a long list of Senate bills, largely on bipartisan or unanimous votes. Topics included consumer protection and transparency for self-storage contracts (SB 709), adoption jurisdiction (SB 450), privacy and name/image protections (SB 683), an audit of the February 2025 bar exam (SB 47), data broker transparency (SB 361), used-car buyer protections (SB 76), state parks land acquisition streamlining (SB 630), cemetery work group deadlines (SB 777), financial enforcement authority (SB 825), utility outage reporting and reliability planning (SB 292), vital records confidentiality (SB 313), health care coverage and hormone therapy access (SB 418), workplace outreach (SB 578), Holocaust and genocide education (SB 472), county jail treatment for misdemeanor incompetency cases (SB 820), and AI companion chatbot safeguards for minors and self-harm risks (SB 243). Most measures passed with little or no opposition, though SB 578 drew sharp debate over the workplace outreach program and its funding. The Assembly also took up concurrence items and approved numerous Assembly bills with Senate amendments. These included transparency in legislative nondisclosure agreements (AB 1370), affordable faculty/staff housing provisions at community colleges (AB 648), tribal youth foster care reforms (AB 1378), EV charger payment regulations (AB 1423), technical Political Reform Act changes (AB 1511), diacritical marks on vital records (AB 64), reproductive health protections with urgency (AB 260), union and collective bargaining protections (AB 288), bench trial statement-of-decision streamlining (AB 515), agricultural land stewardship (AB 524), geothermal exploratory project rules (AB 527), Medi-Cal field medicine changes (AB 543), tobacco-related provisions (AB 573), social media platform rules (AB 656), state parks transaction reporting (AB 679), professional licensing changes (AB 742), and child care staffing and assistant teacher pathways with urgency (AB 753). Votes were generally strong, with several measures passing unanimously or near-unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• want to thank you guys very much for appropriating, or identifying, the money that you put in the budget
• Medicaid serves about 4.3 million Floridians and is about a third of our state budget.
• I'd like to know if it's $100 million and we're busy trying to balance a budget, that's a big number.
• If you look, hopefully the higher education budget passes, we've put additional dollars.
• We're still working on the budget, apparently. Senator Burton, you recognized. Thank you, Chair.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services

Summary: The committee took up a series of health and human services bills, beginning with CS/SB 1602, which would require emergency departments to have evidence-based pediatric care protocols, training, appropriate child-sized equipment and medications, a designated care coordinator, and participation in a pediatric readiness assessment. It was reported favorably. CS/SB 1224 followed, aligning Florida law with federal requirements so paramedics may administer controlled substances in the field under physician or nurse practitioner protocols; it also passed favorably after supportive testimony from fire chiefs. The committee then adopted a strike-all for SB 890, the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, which addresses venous thromboembolism by creating a statewide registry, requiring screening and training in hospitals and long-term care settings, and adding assisted living facility response requirements. Assisted living representatives objected to the ALF provisions as unrealistic and potentially harmful, while supporters argued the bill would save lives; the bill was reported favorably. CS/SB 1182, requiring continuous glucose monitors to be covered as both durable medical equipment and a pharmacy benefit, also passed favorably with support from AARP. The committee next considered CS/SB 12, a claim bill for a child severely injured after a DCF home visit allegedly failed to meet standards, and it was reported favorably without opposition. CS/CS/SB 954, dealing with substance abuse treatment centers and recovery residences, drew substantial debate. The bill would limit local zoning restrictions on treatment facilities and allow larger recovery residences if staffing ratios are increased; a late-filed amendment reduced the maximum active patients from 500 to 300. Municipal and county representatives warned that the bill could override local reasonable-accommodation efforts and create institutional-scale facilities, while supporters said housing is essential to recovery and that clustering concerns are overstated. The committee ultimately reported the bill favorably. CS/SB 1050, expanding the developmental disabilities pilot program statewide and creating a statewide family care council, also passed after extensive testimony from families and advocates. Supporters emphasized the long waitlist and the need for more services, while some speakers opposed managed care and warned about provider shortages and loss of individualized supports. Later, CS/SB 614, requiring a public educational webpage about background screening clearinghouse and level two screening requirements, was reported favorably. CS/SB 1578, which would require coverage for mammograms and supplemental breast cancer screening in certain circumstances, was also reported favorably. CS/SB 1060 created a joint legislative oversight committee to review Medicaid operations and financing; members discussed the need for stronger oversight of large midyear spending adjustments, and the bill passed favorably. CS/SB 1240, a Department of Children and Families substance abuse and mental health bill, was amended to clarify Baker Act transfer timing and notification requirements after debate over whether facilities could hold patients too long; it was then reported favorably. Finally, Senator Harrell presented CS/SB 526, a major nursing education bill aimed at Florida’s low NCLEX passage rates. The bill would require nursing programs to use exit exams, remediation, reporting, and stricter oversight, and the strike-all would add graduate preceptorships for low-performing programs and temporary provisional licenses for graduates pending NCLEX passage. The transcript ended while that bill was still being explained, before final action was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Brodeur, the House is pleased to make the Senate an offer on the budget proviso projects and
• The highlighted numbers on the right side of the budget spreadsheet represent where we have made movement

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The State Administration Budget Subcommittee will come to order. Missy, please call the roll.
• A quorum being present, I want to welcome everyone to the State Administration Budget Subcommittee.

Summary: The State Administration Budget Subcommittee was called to order and a roll call established a quorum. Chair Lopez noted Vice Chair Mager was excused, and members present were recorded before the meeting proceeded. The chair explained that, unlike the committee’s usual budget work, the subcommittee would conduct a site visit to the new State Emergency Operations Center. The purpose was to see how taxpayer funding is being used and to compare the current and new facilities. The chair said both the current and new EOC are managed by the Department of Management Services and are part of the Florida facilities pool. The chair also summarized the funding history for the project, stating the Legislature appropriated $100 million for construction in fiscal year 2021-2022 and $80 million in fiscal year 2022-2023, with additional funding for technology infrastructure, bringing the total appropriated amount to just over $200 million. Members were instructed to begin the tour by visiting the current EOC, then travel to the new EOC for a tour and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We project that HR 1 will create a gap of $80 million to $100 million a year in our budget.
• Please finish your comments, ma'am. million dollars a year in our budget.
• We covered this issue yesterday in the health budget subcommittee.
• Given the crippling national health care cuts and the state's impending budget deficit, California's
• AB 2729 alludes to new taxes and penalties on employers as specified in the budget, limiting sufficient

Committee: House Health

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, if I know that this bill simply ensures that under SP2 town meeting format, the default budget
• Speaker, if I know that this bill simply ensures that under SP2 town meeting format, the default budget
• Speaker, if I know that this bill simply ensures that under SP2 town meeting format, the default budget
• Speaker, if I know that this bill simply ensures that under SP2 town meeting format, the default budget
• Default budget accurately reflects savings from employee turnover and positions that remain unfilled

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Many law enforcement agencies do not have dedicated DNA testing funding in their budgets.
• to an employee if such expenditure is approved in their budget by our Department of Revenue.
• I'd like to provide you an update on the budget and schedule.
• Without a Friday sitting, I was very hopeful that we could begin budget conferencing and make a lot of
• I'm pleased that our Senate budget includes significant performance metrics, which not only will root

Summary: The Senate convened with opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions and introductions, including guests from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Clay County, and a moment of silence for Pope Francis. The chamber then took up a motion to reconsider the prior day’s failed vote on CS for SB 1080 (local government land regulation), which was adopted without objection, and moved into the special order calendar. A series of bills were debated and mostly passed, often after substituting House companions. Measures approved included funding for expedited DNA testing grants, additional aggravating factors in capital cases, fertility preservation coverage for cancer patients, commuter rail indemnification, migrant vessel disposition, specialty license plates, an Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness campaign, relocation of the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys to Florida Memorial University, charter school changes, sexual offender registration updates, utility worker assault/battery penalties, juvenile justice revisions, student mental health outcome reporting, foster home licensure transfers, water access facilities, Florida Virtual School changes, school readiness resources for children with disabilities, sexual images/child exploitation penalties, tampering with electronic monitoring devices, certified recovery residences, the FSU Election Law Center, the Office of Faith and Community, and bonuses for county tax collector/property appraiser employees. Several bills were temporarily postponed, including measures on social media use by minors, veterans’ nursing homes, Parkinson’s disease, mental health and substance use disorders, education, educator preparation, benefits for certain officers injured in the line of duty, school social workers, and brownfields. Debate centered on public safety, health care access, education, recovery housing, and government administration. Some of the most substantive discussion came on the Office of Faith and Community bill, where an amendment to bar political activity by office staff was offered and defeated after extended debate over election-related communications and the proper scope of existing ethics laws. The certified recovery residences bill also drew extensive support and testimony about addiction recovery and housing stability. Most bills passed on strong bipartisan votes, with a few receiving notable opposition, including the charter schools bill, the aggravating factors bill, and the Office of Faith and Community bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many law enforcement agencies do not have dedicated DNA testing funding in their budgets.
• to an employee if such expenditure is approved in their budget by our Department of Revenue.
• I'd like to provide you an update on the budget and schedule.
• We're all familiar with the timelines for getting the budget on the desk.
• I'm pleased that our Senate budget includes significant performance metrics, which not only will root

Summary: The Senate convened with an opening prayer by Rabbi Moshe Umatz, the Pledge of Allegiance led by pages, and several introductions and recognitions, including guests from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Clay County, and a moment of silence for Pope Francis. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar after a motion to reconsider SB 1080, which was temporarily postponed. Several bills were also set aside during the day, including measures on social media use by minors, veterans’ nursing homes, Parkinson’s disease, mental health and substance use disorders, education, educator preparation, and school social workers. The Senate passed a series of bills, often substituting House companions for Senate bills. These included funding for expedited DNA testing grants for local law enforcement (SB 1072/HB 847), additional aggravating factors in capital cases involving religious, school, or government gatherings (SB 984/HB 693), fertility preservation coverage for cancer patients (SB 924/HB 677), commuter rail indemnification for Miami-Dade and Broward counties (SB 916/HB 867), restrictions on disposing of migrant vessels in Florida waters (SB 830), specialty license plates including Miami Northwestern and several colleges and institutions (SB 824), an Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness campaign (SB 398), relocation of the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys to Florida Memorial University (SB 364), charter school changes allowing parent conversion and municipal job-engine charter schools (SB 140), sex offender registration reporting changes (SB 1654/HB 1351), penalties for assaulting utility workers (SB 1386), juvenile justice revisions and truancy process updates (SB 1344), reporting of student mental health outcomes (SB 1310/HB 969), foster home license transfer simplification (SB 1174/HB 989), water access facility funding and boating industry incentives (SB 1162/HB 735), Florida Virtual School operational changes (SB 1122), school readiness program support for children with disabilities (SB 1102), sexual image offenses involving minors (SB 1180/HB 757), age-related defenses in child sex offense cases (SB 1136/HB 777), tampering with electronic monitoring devices (SB 1054/HB 437), certified recovery residences and local zoning accommodations (SB 954), and the FSU Election Law Center (SB 892). Most of these bills passed with strong bipartisan support, though SB 984 and SB 140 drew some opposition. One of the most extensive debates centered on SB 820, codifying the Office of Faith and Community. Senator Polsky offered an amendment to bar political activity by office staff, citing emails and campaign-related communications tied to Amendment 4; the amendment failed on a 13-23 vote. Senators then debated the bill’s relationship to state election law, free speech, and the role of faith-based outreach. Supporters emphasized the office’s service network and reported benefits to children and families, while some senators raised concerns about interfaith representation and political use of government resources. The bill was then read a third time and the Senate proceeded toward a final vote as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many law enforcement agencies do not have dedicated DNA testing funding in their budgets.
• to an employee if such expenditure is approved in their budget by our Department of Revenue.
• I'd like to provide you an update on the budget and schedule.
• We're all familiar with the timelines for getting the budget on the desk and concluding session on time
• Without a Friday sitting, I was very hopeful that we could begin budget conferencing and make a lot of

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including guests from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Clay County, and a moment of silence for Pope Francis. Members then moved to the special order calendar after adopting a motion to reconsider the earlier failed vote on CS/SB 1080, which was temporarily postponed. The chamber also temporarily postponed several bills during the day, including measures on social media use by minors, veterans’ nursing homes, Parkinson’s disease, mental health and substance use disorders, education, educator preparation, benefits for certain officers injured in the line of duty, Brownfields, and school social workers. The Senate passed a series of bills with little or no opposition, often substituting House companions for Senate bills. These included expedited DNA testing grants for law enforcement; additional aggravating factors in capital felony sentencing; fertility preservation coverage for cancer patients; commuter rail indemnification; disposition of migrant vessels; specialty license plates; an Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness campaign; relocation of the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys to Florida Memorial University; charter school changes; registration rules for sexual predators and offenders; assault and battery penalties for utility workers; juvenile justice revisions; reporting of student mental health outcomes; foster home licensure transfers; water access facilities and boating-related funding; Florida Virtual School changes; school readiness program improvements; protections against lewd sexual images of children; age-related criminal offense provisions; tampering with electronic monitoring devices; certified recovery residences; and codification of the FSU Election Law Center. Most of these bills passed overwhelmingly, though the charter school bill and the aggravating factors bill drew more divided votes. One of the most debated measures was SB 820, codifying the Office of Faith and Community. Senator Polsky offered an amendment to bar political activity by office employees while on duty and using government resources, citing alleged election-related emails and concerns about mixing government and religious influence. Supporters argued the amendment was needed as a guardrail; opponents said existing law already covered the conduct and that the amendment could be confusing or overly broad. The amendment failed 13-23, and the underlying bill passed 27-9 after extended debate about faith, politics, and the office’s role. Another notable debate involved SB 954 on certified recovery residences, where senators emphasized the need for stable housing in addiction recovery and the bill passed unanimously after supportive remarks from members who had personal experience with recovery. The Senate also passed SB 674 on bonuses for county tax collector and property appraiser employees after questions about safeguards and the purpose of the bonuses.

Transcript Highlights:

• And budget, we are now ready to hear a bill from the great Representative Newton.
• Yeah, this is part of the general budget agreement that we have, correct?

Summary: The committee heard Representative Newton’s bill to extend the GPT sunset date from 2027 to 2032. Newton explained that an earlier proposal to raise caps and make other changes had been amended out, so the bill would not change the caps or funding levels and would simply extend the existing program. Representative Hayes asked whether the measure was part of the general budget agreement, and Newton confirmed that funding would remain exactly the same. After brief questions, the committee moved to a due pass vote with no debate. The bill passed unanimously, 9 yeas and 0 nays, and the chair declared it passed. Following the vote, members were reminded that Transit Day would be held on Wednesday and that transit advocates would likely be visiting offices.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Conference Committee on Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations and House Justice Budget
• We're pleased to provide you the House's first counteroffer on the budget, the proviso language, the

Summary: The conference committee on Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations and House Justice Budget Subcommittee met briefly to exchange budget conference materials. The House, through Vice Chair Mani, presented its first counteroffer, including budget items, proviso language, back-of-bill language, implementing bill language, and conforming bill language related to judges. Chair Garcia acknowledged the offer and said the committee had made progress, especially on judges, and would review and respond to the House proposal. Members emphasized the goal of reaching agreement and avoiding a budget “bump.” No public comment was offered, and no substantive debate or amendments occurred during the meeting. The committee reminded members that future meetings would be on one-hour notice. The only action taken was adjournment, moved by Representative/Senator Wright and approved without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• MEMBERS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES WE HAVE INCLUDED THE CONFERENCE STARTING POINT FOR THE BUDGET SPREADSHEET
• SENATOR BRODER YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU THE HOUSE IS 1ST OFFER ON THE BUDGET SPREADSHEET.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So agencies weren't budgeting for wide use of AI.
• So agencies weren't budgeting for wide use of AI.
• We don't, because of the budgeting, we don't have that.
• I would say our current budget cycles are very long.
• , I don't know what to budget for, how to budget for today, if it's going to hit next biennium or if

Committee: Joint Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Committee

Summary: The committee held its first meeting on artificial intelligence and data centers, establishing its purpose as a study and policy-development body rather than one aimed at producing many bills. Majority Leader Hogue urged members to move quickly, focus on federal and other states’ AI laws, consider possible federal preemption, child protections, and the siting and economic impacts of data centers. Committee leadership echoed that the goal is practical, balanced governance that protects North Dakota while allowing innovation to continue. Legislative Council staff provided a background memo and NCSL presented a detailed overview of AI concepts and the current state legislative landscape. The presentations distinguished narrow AI, generative AI, agentic AI, and theoretical AGI/ASI, and summarized major state policy themes: comprehensive AI laws in states such as Utah, Colorado, Texas, California, and Illinois; targeted laws on deepfakes, chatbots, health, education, notifications, and digital likeness; and growing use of appropriations and agency inventories. Members asked about Colorado’s repeal and reenactment, Texas’s sandbox and training provisions, oversight structures, and whether AI regulation is bipartisan; presenters said most issues cut across party lines, with broad agreement on child safety and deepfakes but more division on broader regulatory approaches. The federal update focused on executive orders, preemption, and congressional activity. NCSL described a White House framework favoring a single federal standard, a DOJ litigation task force, Commerce Department review of state laws, and possible funding conditions tied to state AI policy, though no formal state-law challenge had yet occurred. The presentation also covered a recent executive order creating a voluntary federal vetting process for advanced frontier models after safety concerns, and congressional proposals including a failed 10-year state moratorium, Senator Blackburn’s child-safety bills, the Kids Online Safety Act, a House-passed children’s digital safety package, a Senate data center moratorium proposal, and a House ratepayer/data-center bill. The committee took no formal action beyond receiving testimony and asking questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• And more specifically, is there part of the upcoming budget request?
• Their appropriation process is being handled by our budget director so that the appropriation process
• So we just had the governor's announcement yesterday on budget.
• So we just had the governor's announcement yesterday on budget.
• Has this just been through their regular budget that they've just been building this in?

Summary: The committee met on the Minot State campus for a presentation from President Shirley and several university leaders on enrollment, academics, workforce initiatives, and partnerships. Shirley reviewed the university’s financial audits, noting mostly clean results with only minor technical findings in recent years, and highlighted Minot State’s major programs, specialized accreditations, and ties to Minot Air Force Base and NCAA Division II athletics. Members asked about education workforce shortages, athletic tuition waivers, dual credit incentives, and the university’s in-state tuition policy for all students. Shirley also discussed the university’s recruitment efforts, including the Hometown Pride and Academic Excellence scholarships, campus visit growth, and the Emerging Scholars dual-credit reimbursement program. A major focus was workforce development and new academic offerings supported by legislative Workforce Education Innovation Funds. Shirley described the new Innovation Engineering program, which was developed with industry input to train broadly skilled engineers for western North Dakota, and said it had already drawn more applicants than expected. Dr. Crystal St. Peter presented a new master’s program in counseling that integrates mental health and addiction counseling to address statewide provider shortages, with a hybrid format to reach rural students. Members asked about licensure requirements, internship hours, and job placement for graduates. Shirley also outlined a new nursing simulation center and health sciences space in downtown Minot, made possible by state support and the purchase of the former Trinity Health Center West building. The committee also heard about Minot State’s efforts to build pipelines into education and special education, including the Aspire program for rural high school students and an online paraprofessional-to-special-education degree pathway. Shirley said these programs, along with new articulation agreements and a large Bush Foundation grant, are intended to address teacher shortages and keep students in North Dakota. No formal committee votes or actions were taken during the presentation; the session consisted of informational updates and member questions.