Transcript Highlights:

• “Legislative decisions in communities.
• If you eliminate racing, you eliminate the heartbeat of our community.”
• If you eliminate racing, you eliminate the heartbeat of our community.
• Thank you so much, and I ask you to seriously... ...communities.
• Our family's very invested in our community. We love Ocala.

Committee: Senate Regulated Industries

Summary: The committee first handled Senate confirmations, hearing two support waivers from the Florida Swimming Pool Association, and then voted to recommend confirmation of all appointees in a block vote. It then took up several bills, adopting amendments and reporting each measure favorably: CS/SB 462 on transportation, which included FDOT authority over speed limits, EV-related funding, MPO changes, workforce grants, and an I-4 widening report; SB 1574 on energy infrastructure investment, creating a PSC mechanism for renewable natural gas infrastructure cost recovery; SB 1002 on utility service restrictions, limiting local government energy-source restrictions; and SB 726 on swatting, adding liability for prosecution/investigation costs and restitution for injuries or property damage. The committee also approved CS/SB 496 on timeshare management and CS/SB 1076 on roof contracting, both with technical or clarifying amendments. A major portion of the meeting focused on SB 408 on thoroughbred permit holders and decoupling live racing from gaming licenses at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. Senator Burgess presented a strike-all amendment that would delay decoupling for seven years, with a three-year notice period and a four-year guarantee of racing and current purse/breeder award structures. The sponsor and supporters said the longer runway was intended to create room for negotiations and align Florida with other pari-mutuel operations. The committee heard extensive public testimony, overwhelmingly opposed, from horsemen, breeders, veterinarians, farm owners, sales companies, and related businesses who warned the bill would reduce racing, depress breeding, threaten tens of thousands of jobs, and harm a major agricultural industry. A few speakers, including representatives of the Miccosukee Tribe, opposed the bill as a casino expansion that would benefit out-of-state interests and undermine existing gaming arrangements. No final vote on SB 408 was taken in the portion provided, and the committee continued public testimony after a recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ensure clients are eligible for community supervision. version had denied community supervision removes
• The Institute reflects additional feedback in conversations with the legal community.
• But the key. is community support, community involvement.
• My officers actively patrol our community and respond. to threats in real time.
• The limitations affect the safety of our community.

Bills: SB693 , SB781 , SB836 , SB860 , SB906 , SB993 , SB1101 , SB1321 , SB1370 , SB1537 , SB1563 , SB1610 , SB1637

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Keywords: notary public, notaries, acknowledgment, jurat, personal appearance, remote notarization, online notarization, e-notary, electronic notarization, fraud prevention, identity verification, real estate fraud, property transfer, state jail felony, Class A misdemeanor, secretary of state, continuing education, record retention, notarial act, Texas Government Code

Summary: The committee heard a series of criminal justice bills focused on victim protections, law enforcement tools, notary/deed fraud, sexually violent predators, veterans in jail, tribal policing authority, and peace officer records. Several bills were laid out, heard, and left pending because the committee lacked a quorum for final action on those items. Testimony was generally supportive on bills addressing interpreter appointments, fuel theft investigations, deed fraud, survivor privacy, veteran jailer training, tribal peace officer authority, and officer-record confidentiality, though some bills drew concerns about due process, scope, or drafting. Senate Bill 1537 would clean up criminal procedure language on appointing interpreters and align it with Government Code standards requiring licensed or certified interpreters; it received no public opposition and was left pending. Senate Bill 993 would let Comptroller Criminal Investigative Division officers directly seek warrants for mobile tracking devices in fuel-theft and tax-fraud investigations; it also drew support and was left pending. Senate Bill 693, as substituted, would create a criminal offense for notarizing documents without the signer personally appearing, with a higher penalty when real property is involved, and would add notary continuing education; a Dallas County prosecutor testified that notary fraud is a major driver of deed theft, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 1610, as substituted, would address safety, registration, and criminal penalties at the Texas Civil Commitment Office for sexually violent predators, including assaults on staff and sex-offender registration issues; agency witnesses described increased assaults and operational problems, while a public witness urged waiting for Sunset review and raised due-process concerns. Senate Bill 836 would add privacy protections for sexual assault survivors by limiting livestreaming of trials, expanding pseudonym use, and protecting forensic exam and invasive-recording evidence; survivors and advocates strongly supported it, and defense lawyers said they had no opposition to the substitute. Senate Bill 1563 would require county jailer training on interacting with veterans, with testimony from the Texas Veterans Commission and veterans’ advocates emphasizing suicide risk, PTSD, and the need for better identification and support in jails; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard Senate Bill 906, which would authorize the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribal police to be commissioned as Texas peace officers like two other federally recognized tribes in Texas; tribal leaders said the change would improve response times and coordination, and the bill was left pending. Senate Bill 781, as substituted, would standardize confidentiality rules for peace officer personnel and departmental files statewide, mirroring Chapter 143 civil-service practices; law enforcement witnesses supported it as a way to protect personal information and create uniform records practices, but several senators raised concerns that the bill could blur existing disclosure rules or bury misconduct complaints, and public testimony included an opposition witness describing a police shooting involving her brother.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're very familiar with scammers, and often they're unidentifiable, and they communicate with untraceable
• We have Travis Moore, Community Associations Institute, waving in support.
• I’m Jeff Harvey, CEO of Community Legal Services, a large legal aid organization that helps Floridians
• I work a full-time job where I deal a lot with legal aid, and I represent a community that oftentimes
• However, tenants do not have the same right to communicate with landlords in this way.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and considered several bills. SB 106 on exploitation of vulnerable adults would allow service of process on scammers through the same nontraditional communication methods they use; it passed 8-0. CS/SB 280 on candidate qualification would create an enforceable party-affiliation requirement and a private right of action to disqualify noncompliant candidates; it passed unanimously. CS/SB 948 on flood disclosures was amended to extend disclosure requirements to residential leases, condo developer leases, and mobile homes, with tenant remedies if disclosures are not provided and flooding causes major losses; it passed 8-0. The committee also advanced CS/SB 498 on IOTA interest rates after a lengthy debate over legal aid funding and bank regulation. Supporters argued the bill would restore sustainability and fairness to the program by setting alternative interest-rate benchmarks, while opponents said it would cut funding for civil legal aid and that banks participate voluntarily. After testimony from legal aid leaders and bankers, the bill passed 7-2. SB 774, requiring clerks to electronically transmit certain mental health, substance abuse, and risk protection orders to sheriffs within six hours, was presented in response to a fatal Volusia County incident and passed 11-0. CS/SB 752 on defamation and online publication was amended to require removal from a website rather than the internet, then passed 8-2 after testimony from the media, a private attorney, and supporters who said it would help people harmed by false online reports. The committee also heard SB 832 on former phosphate mining lands, which would create a narrow defense against strict liability claims if notice and gamma radiation survey requirements are met. The bill was amended to clarify notice provisions and received support from industry and technical witnesses describing radiation surveys and reclamation practices. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on SB 832, so no committee action on that bill is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• These projects are developed at the local level there prioritized by our local communities and then we
• And you may you see those in your community.
• We have 3 main divisions, economic development, community development and workforce services.
• We're also looking at a time when timeline for completion and we're looking at community supports who
• The entire community forward projects are ultimately chosen by the governor.

Transcript Highlights:

• That same brings to his community.
• Our community was proud to see GPA.
• </c><00:18:40.640><c> You</c> commitment to our community. You commitment to our community.
• </c> community of interests as one nation. community of interests as one nation.
• Subramanyam. with host communities. It's a good bill. with host communities. It's a good bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> did not go to a vote uh the community did not go to a vote uh the community has<00:54:36.839><c>
• Our community wasn't ready. We listened to our community.
• </c><00:59:59.359><c> wasn't</c> to the ballot uh our community wasn't to the ballot uh our community
• </c> ready we listened to the our community ready we listened to the our community their<01:00:01.799
• </c> kids cohesive message and Community kids cohesive message and Community Players<01:05:21.920><c>

Summary: The concurrent House-Senate meeting opened with a roll call and then received a briefing from Kentucky Emergency Management and the Transportation Cabinet on the February storms and flooding. Officials described the event as ongoing and statewide in scope, beginning in western counties and then heavily affecting Eastern Kentucky, including major impacts in Perry, Letcher, Clay, Bell, Martin, Pike, and other counties. They reported widespread power and water outages, nearly 600 people initially sheltered, more than 1,500 water rescues, over 250 National Guard members activated, and substantial mutual aid from other states and FEMA. They also said 73 counties had declared emergencies, 23 fatalities had been confirmed at that point, and individual assistance had already distributed $5.5 million to residents after the federal declaration was signed. The administration emphasized that recovery needs were still being assessed but were already significant. Kentucky Emergency Management said public assistance estimates were about $58 million and rising, with about 2,005 homes and 272 businesses inspected so far. Debris removal was identified as a major issue, and officials said they had requested Category A federal assistance for debris in four counties while continuing to seek more as assessments continued. They also noted that disaster recovery centers were opening and that teams were going door to door in affected areas. On transportation, KYTC reported 39 counties affected, a peak of 355 road closures reduced to 49, 18 damaged bridges, 94 bridges with debris on them, and 579 roadway damages, while continuing to clear roads and move supplies such as water, food, blankets, and heaters. Secretary Hicks then asked lawmakers to consider additional funding mechanisms. He said the current $50 million emergency cap in the budget was likely to be exhausted, with $21.5 million already allocated, and proposed either lifting the cap or creating a new “safe fund” for this disaster, similar to prior funds used after the western Kentucky tornadoes and the 2022 eastern Kentucky floods. He said the state could redirect about $25 million from an unused western Kentucky economic development allocation and about $20 million from an eastern Kentucky transportation allocation, for a total of $45 million, to help with this response. Members and officials also discussed debris disposal, with the Pike County landfill expansion identified as a possible site to receive some of the debris and reduce costs. Representative Fugate thanked the agencies for their response and described severe local impacts, including water outages, road slides, damaged water treatment plants, and heavy debris in homes and driveways.

Transcript Highlights:

• It looks different from community to community.
• It looks different from community to community.
• It looks different from community to community.
• It looks different from community to community.
• It looks different from community to community.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• He works at a community college.
• rural</c><00:28:57.880><c> counties</c> rural communities and rural counties rural communities and rural
• </c><00:38:19.320><c> that</c> wanted to come in, and a community that wanted to come in, and a community
• And so there are certainly communities that are being impacted right now.
• You don't want to communicate that kind of security level.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Burnsville um serving their community. Burnsville um serving their community.
• </c> to protecting our communities every day. to protecting our communities every day.
• . communities. communities.
• There's been really heavy drone activity in my community over the last several days in many communities
• ,</c> using. antagonistic communication, using. antagonistic communication, coercive<01:07:17.039><c>

Bills: HF1567 , HF2809 , HF3380

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:58:47.799><c> that</c> and they're still in the community that and they're still in the community
• </c><01:00:14.839><c> Based</c> higher than than home Community Based higher than than home Community
• I’m a communications director.
• </c> worked with more than 100 um communities worked with more than 100 um communities and<01:46:45.679
• </c> connected Harvard with the community connected Harvard with the community sites<01:47:51.000><c>

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:40:38.440><c> provider</c> uh consulted with the community provider uh consulted with the community
• Communications.
• Radio communication must immediate.
• <02:05:24.200><c> network</c><02:05:24.840><c> fee</c> communications network fee communications network
• </c> for public safety radio communication. for public safety radio communication.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• On August 27th, my community joined so many other communities around the state and the country that have
• </c> our communities. our communities.
• 27th, my community joined so many<00:05:06.560><c> other</c><00:05:06.880><c> communities</c><00:05:
• Nothing we say here today community.
• </c> and my community safe. and my community safe.

Bills: HF3433 , HF3402 , HF3412 , HF3405 , HF3404

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• And make no mistake, this community.
• development to their communities.
• </c> growth for those for those communities. growth for those for those communities.
• </c><02:01:22.480><c> apps</c> development to their communities. apps development to their communities
• </c> support to the communities. support to the communities.

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:04:50.720><c> promptly</c> law enforcement communicates promptly law enforcement communicates
• </c><01:07:05.599><c> in</c> to speak for the veteran community in to speak for the veteran community
• Uh, and Miss Nicole communication.
• It's community policing.
• </c> we're not doing that in my community. we're not doing that in my community.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> deeply want to avoid for the community deeply want to avoid for the community as<00:16:22.320><c
• -</c><01:32:51.440><c> based</c> services provided by community- based services provided by community
• </c> families, and communities in the state. families, and communities in the state.
• </c> and continue to serve the community and continue to serve the community effectively.<01:39:34.320
• </c><01:46:16.560><c> here</c> the community here the community here &gt;&gt; or<01:46:17.679><c> was

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard House Bill 2095, which would provide supplemental appropriations for the Judiciary for the 2025-2027 biennium. Judiciary Administrative Director Brandon Kimura testified in strong support and outlined a request for about $6.4 million in supplemental operating funds, plus four permanent full-time position conversions. He grouped the request into security, services to court users, and staffing needs, including $3.25 million for supplemental armed private security at judiciary facilities statewide, nearly $200,000 for cybersecurity staffing and support, restoration of funding for substance use treatment purchase-of-service contracts, restoration of funding for the Office of Public Guardian on Kauaʻi, salary commission funding, a Kona court operations position, and two Court-Appointed Special Advocates positions converted from temporary to permanent. He also described five capital improvement requests totaling $55.4 million, led by $30 million for construction of a new South Kohala courthouse, $1.2 million each for air conditioning upgrades in Hilo and Kauaʻi, $15 million for elevator upgrades at Kahumanu Hale, and $8 million in lump-sum bond funds for emerging projects. Several organizations testified in support, including Parents and Children Together and the True Cost Coalition. Supporters emphasized the importance of the purchase-of-service funding for domestic violence and substance use treatment services and said the restoration would return funding to pre-COVID levels and help providers maintain capacity. Kimura explained that the Judiciary often shifts funds among contracts during the year to avoid service interruptions, but that the reduced funding has caused delays and operational problems for providers and probationers. Members asked detailed questions about the capital projects and operating requests. Representative Shimizu asked for more information on the lump-sum bond funds and the elevator project, and Kimura explained that the Kahumanu Hale request covers four remaining elevator shafts after earlier funding addressed the first five elevators. Representative Cochran asked about the absence of Maui County projects, and Kimura said the Judiciary is still planning for its older Maui facilities with DAGS. Chair Tarnas questioned the need for armed private guards and discussed whether court security should be prioritized within the Department of Law Enforcement; Kimura said the Judiciary needs additional personnel now and has not asked DLE to deprioritize other missions, though the chair suggested further coordination between the agencies. No vote or final action on the bill was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:54:09.359><c> we</c> universities within our community we universities within our community we
• These services are absolutely crucial for our community.
• The community also supports the revision that accommodates continued case management or community support
• </c><01:48:54.800><c> is</c> they are and driving their Community is they are and driving their Community
• </c> relationship with all of my community relationship with all of my community members<01:58:02.560

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• So all this does is send it back to the court to have them do community service work or something for
• To be able to do this and order community service if necessary. And I'm assuming you concur then?
• designation to communities that meet listed requirements.
• Awarding a nuclear-ready community designation to communities that meet listed requirements, and with
• Madam Wip, members, as passed the House, awarding a nuclear-ready community designation to communities

Summary: The Republican caucus reviewed a long list of House bills returned from the Senate with amendments, generally asking staff to describe the changes and then confirming whether the sponsor concurred. Many measures were accepted with little or no debate, including bills on tax filing penalties (HB 2016), court-ordered restitution for homeless or indigent defendants (HB 2028), vaccination and mask restrictions (HB 286), bullion investments by the state treasurer (HB 2140), nursing care complaint timelines (HB 2195), privacy protections for county records (HB 2327), cold plunge regulation (HB 2439), medical records access timelines (HB 2557), licensing board procedures (HB 2660), school and public records provisions, AI governance (HB 2592), fingerprint clearance temporary work authorization (HB 2916), development fees (HB 2946), affordability infrastructure districts (HB 2999), distracted driving penalties (HB 2109), health aide scope of practice (HB 2189), eviction record sealing (HB 2244), backyard structure rules in planned communities (HB 2342), inmate transition services (HB 2440), nuclear-ready community designation criteria (HB 2456), address confidentiality protections (HB 2594), groundwater/medical reimbursement changes (HB 2932), traffic citation signature authority (HB 2369), advanced math enrollment (HB 2423), school district training and intervention requirements (HB 2435), job order contracting limits (HB 2482), special education and placement rules (HB 2621), DCS parent rights notice changes (HB 2661), domestic violence expert testimony standards (HB 2662), inmate mental health study committee provisions (HB 2673), legislative subpoena enforcement (HB 2745), ACA trade office oversight (HB 2752), utility reporting changes (HB 2756), Native American language proficiency credit (HB 2895), mental health judicial review timelines (HB 2923), mobile food vendor licensing (HB 2118), medical intervention/school attendance rules (HB 2248), school board finance training (HB 2379), and school board meeting access/video requirements (HB 2380). Sponsors repeatedly stated they concurred with the Senate amendments, and no roll-call votes were taken in the transcript. A few items were set aside or sent back, including HB 2035 and HB 2249, and one bill (HB 2594) was left pending because the sponsor had not yet responded.

Transcript Highlights:

• When it succeeds, entire communities succeed.
• Land values, preserves agricultural property, and stabilizes the rural communities.
• Policies that weaken live racing don't just affect horsemen; they affect communities.
• It shifts risk onto horsemen; it strips communities.
• Communities of their voice and allows others to exit while keeping the assets intact.

Committee: House Commerce Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• stakeholders. intent language that the state and the philanthropic community will work together with
• , including labor, business, and community-based organizations to strengthen existing initiatives and
• communicate shared priorities in a clear and coordinated manner to the broader public.
• We have Senate Bill 5861, the education community representatives, before us.
• We have Senate Bill 5861, Education and Community Representation.

Summary: The Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee began with a clarification about a prior budget bill affecting Running Start, emphasizing that it would reduce per-student funding to colleges but would not reduce student participation in the program. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Bill 6277, which would promote educational stability for children of military families by easing enrollment rules, extending proof-of-residency deadlines to 90 days, allowing conditional enrollment before arrival, and requiring timely transfer and implementation of IEPs and 504 plans. Support came from the bill sponsor, students, school psychologists, military family advocates, and veterans groups, while school district representatives raised concerns about accelerated special education timelines and related costs. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then moved into executive session on a first packet of bills. It adopted a proposed substitute for Senate Bill 5992 creating a youth development fund account and prioritizing tribal and American Indian/Alaska Native youth, and advanced the bill to Rules. It passed Senate Bill 6078 on child care provider supports, advanced Senate Bill 6089 on P20W education data with a substitute that added stakeholder intent language, limited nonprofit authority, and FERPA protections, and adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 5918 increasing school materials, supplies, and operating costs funding, then sent it to Ways and Means. In the second packet, the committee considered Senate Bill 5861 on school board director districts, but rejected an amendment that would have required candidates to be elected only by voters in their director district rather than at large. It then adopted a substitute and advanced the bill. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 6118 requiring cardiac emergency response plans in schools, with a substitute making implementation contingent on state funding; Senate Bill 6065 allowing certain financially distressed districts to use transportation vehicle funds under limited conditions; and Senate Bill 6052 directing development of a statewide digital transcript exchange system, which was sent to Ways and Means. The meeting ended with adjournment after all scheduled executive action was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our system ensures that communities stay informed and protected even if the cell tower power goes out
• A minimum payment amount is applied in the formula to target aid to communities that are challenged to
• They are simply Reflections of the communities that they serve.
• They listen a lot to their communities. I used to work at the metropolitan library Systems.
• Library collections are driven by who is in their community and what the needs of the community are.

Committee: House A&B Education Subcommittee