Transcript Highlights:

• :23.760> we little fire ant and frog fruit that we little fire ant and frog fruit that we purchase
• at the grocery store and bring purchase at the grocery store and bring home<02:00:25.639> to<
• Like, there's a lot of smaller movement guys are bulking and they're distributing as we kind of create
• <02:09:27.840> and<02:09:27.960> they're movement guys are bulking and they're movement
• guys are bulking and they're Distributing<02:09:30.040> as<02:09:30.199> we<02:09:30.520

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Asztalos: IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE AND THE GREAT BULK OF THEM, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE IN THE NEXT WE WEREN'T
• ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH BUT THE BULK HEAD AT THIS POINT IN TIME THEY DID NOT NEED SERVICES.
• SOME DID NOT WANT TO APPLY FOR THE MEDICAID PROGRAM BUT THE BULK OF THEM SAID THAT AT THIS POINT IN THEIR

Transcript Highlights:

• We are seeing LLCs and corporate providers purchasing large numbers of single-family homes in highly
• > large<00:25:31.279> numbers<00:25:31.600> of<00:25:31.840> single purchasing
• and we are supporting and have been working on article one of the amended bill, which includes the bulk
• of the original bill and then some modified provisions that were included in the amendment. >> The bulk
• of the original bill includes the bulk of the original bill uh<02:31:06.560> and<02:31:06.800

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's the bulk of our revenues from out-of-state licenses. was 1,952. was 1,952.
• So that's that's the bulk of our state.
• So that is the bulk of our request.
• <01:30:10.239> We So that is the bulk of our request.
• We So that is the bulk of our request.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 22 January, 2026; 8:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The hearing began with the State Board of Architecture’s budget presentation. The executive director described the board’s mission to regulate architecture, landscape architecture, and certified interior design to protect public health and safety. He highlighted the board’s consolidated structure, license totals, high reciprocity rate, recent rule changes to reduce barriers to practice, and a proposed FY 2027 budget of $368,123, which included a 5% staff salary increase and higher operating costs. He also noted a newly identified need to modernize the licensing system, estimated at at least $25,000, and asked that the board not be reduced below the requested level. A board member also praised the small staff’s responsiveness and effectiveness. The State Board of Public Accountancy then presented its budget and policy requests. The executive director said the board regulates CPAs and CPA firms, oversees the CPA exam process, and has about 3,600 active individual licensees and 800 firms. The board requested only a 3% compensation increase for staff, plus a special request to allow an audit supervisor to repay the cost of a Becker review course through payroll deduction as part of succession planning. She also described a board-approved waiver program that began January 1, eliminating application fees for CPA exam candidates and retakes; 42 candidates had used the waiver in the first two weeks. In response to questions, she said the board does not assist CPAs with IRS disputes, but it does investigate complaints from the IRS, SEC, PCAOB, or others. Finally, a representative presented for the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors. She explained that the board regulates licensed counselors and psychotherapy providers, meets frequently, and has two staff members. The board’s main request was for additional investigative capacity: a full-time investigator and related funding, because complaints are currently handled by part-time investigators, contractors, and sometimes board members, which can require recusals from hearings. She said the state auditor had recently flagged complaint backlogs at regulatory agencies, supporting the request. The board also sought funding for a contractual administrative position, salary progressions, and a one-time technology increase to modify its new licensing system for the counseling compact and better search functions. Members questioned the board about its large cash balance, which was reported at about $860,000, and whether it should provide fee relief or other benefits to members; the presenter said the board would look into that and noted that revenues had increased significantly in recent years, partly due to out-of-state and telehealth-related licensing demand.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bulk of the work within the formerly known as harm reduction space is absolutely allowable.
• The bulk of the work within the formerly known as harm reduction space is absolutely allowable.
• , our office filed a second suit against one of the companies that we believe to be the largest purchasers
• of supposed 7-OH products manufactured by American Shaman, sold by Relax Relief Rejuvenate, and purchased

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• UMass has done a great job of buying our energy as a system, so we cut through our purchasing.
• So we cut through our purchasing. We cut costs however we can.
• And there's a lot of research that happens at our flagship across all the campuses, but the bulk of it
• The oldest buildings comprise the bulk of the underutilized halls and lack current amenities such as

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its second public hearing of the 194th General Court on capital investments in higher education, focusing primarily on H.54, the Bright Act, along with H.1426/S.949 on green and healthy public colleges and universities and deferred maintenance, and H.1424 on capital investment in Gateway Cities. Chairs and administration officials framed the hearing as a response to aging campus infrastructure, climate goals, workforce needs, and federal pressures on higher education, and explained that testimony would be taken from pre-registered speakers in person and virtually. University of Massachusetts leaders strongly supported the Bright Act, describing large deferred maintenance backlogs, aging buildings, and the need to decarbonize campuses while modernizing research and teaching facilities. UMass officials said the bill would help keep tuition and fees lower by reducing the need for campuses to finance capital work themselves, and argued that the investments would improve competitiveness, support research, and create construction jobs. Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary of Education Tuttweiler, and Secretary of Administration and Finance Gorzkowicz also backed the bill, saying it would leverage Fair Share surtax revenues for a proposed $2.5 billion in campus investments plus additional targeted grants, and that it would support affordability, economic growth, and climate resilience. Committee members asked about the balance between deferred maintenance and decarbonization, the role of grant programs versus direct spending, the impact on tuition and fees, and how the plan would help campuses respond to federal cuts such as NIH and NSF funding. Administration officials said the proposal was designed to be phased in quickly, with some projects ready to start immediately and others taking longer, and that the grant programs would be structured to include all campuses equitably. They also said the plan would build on an existing financing model similar to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund and could help campuses avoid future tuition increases tied to capital costs. Additional testimony came from MassBay Community College, where President David Podell and recent nursing graduate Deanna Cavazos described the benefits of a new Framingham campus building and said community colleges need modern labs, better planning capacity, and deferred maintenance support to serve the enrollment growth from MassReconnect and MassEducate. State university leaders, including President Mary Grant, President Linda Thompson, and President John Keenan, said their campuses face outdated classrooms, insufficient electrical capacity, and aging facilities, and urged passage of the Bright Act as a long-overdue investment in student success and workforce preparation.

Transcript Highlights:

• 898, are the line items that combine to form the Medicaid grants appropriation, which pays for the bulk
• 898, are the line items that combine to form the Medicaid grants appropriation, which pays for the bulk
• And so a lot of what we saw requested was to purchase more buses.
• These guys purchased new equipment to put up the tower.

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations and took executive recommendations on several Department of Human Services divisions, including Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services; Children and Family Services; County Operations; Developmental Disability Services; and Medical Services, with most divisions showing little or no significant change in total appropriations. Staff and agency witnesses repeatedly explained that many large appropriations are maintained for flexibility, federal matching requirements, or contingency needs, even when actual spending is much lower than the authorized amount. Members also raised concerns about staffing vacancies, long-vacant budgeted positions, and the use of excess appropriation authority across DHS. In Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health, members questioned federal funding levels for mental health and substance abuse grants, the status of senior centers and Meals on Wheels, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, community alcohol safety grants, and the veterans mental health grant. Agency officials said federal block grants are largely committed, that senior center funding had been delayed by shutdown timing but was now back on track, that the tobacco settlement program had been moved internally within DHS, and that the veterans mental health appropriation remains unfunded. Senators also criticized the adequacy of support for seniors and asked for more detail on how transportation, meal services, and local contributions are funded. In Children and Family Services, members asked about rising appropriation levels, foster care and adoption subsidies, professional fees, the number of children in foster care, and the Children’s Trust Fund. DHS said increases reflect added flexibility for residential treatment, adoption subsidies, and prevention services, while the foster care population has remained fairly steady at about 3,400 children. The Children’s Trust Fund was described as supporting primary prevention programs such as Baby and Me and community schools, and members asked whether it could be administratively combined with other efforts. Questions also covered TANF subgrants, with DHS explaining that it had reduced outside subgrants after discovering over-obligation and was rebuilding reserves. In County Operations, members focused on the summer EBT program, SNAP employment and training, the farmer’s market program, and the state’s TANF reserve position. DHS said summer EBT is still being funded through temporary appropriations because it is a newer program, SNAP employment and training is largely federally funded and may expand under a pending policy change, and TANF reserves were drawn down after prior over-obligation but are now being stabilized. In Developmental Disability Services, members asked about vacancies, human development center staffing, facility construction funds, and the Booneville work program, and DHS said the program has reopened and staffing recruitment continues. In Medical Services, members asked about FMAP, the Our Kids B CHIP program, school-based Medicaid reimbursements, nursing home distress funds, and several large appropriation lines that far exceed actual spending; DHS said these are maintained for claims payment, nursing home receivership contingencies, and other flexibility needs. Each division reviewed was adopted by executive recommendation after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• This would allow us to negotiate... with landowners not to be able to purchase properties at lower than
• their own appraisal and tell us how much their property is worth and potentially we can agree to purchase
• Bulk milk tanking, bulk milk tank surveillance testing, that was something that folks maybe had heard

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and it's where what normally you would have a separation between a bulk property and the property
• Um, and it's where what normally you would have a separation between a bulk property and the property
• :08:30.479> separation<00:08:31.120> between<00:08:31.360> a<00:08:31.599> bulk
• would have a separation between a bulk would have a separation between a bulk property<00:08:32.320
• And that's something we can't do when we're looking at larger bulk properties.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 01:58 Approval of Minutes 03:05 Member Comments 03:18 Nanotechnologies in Energy 06:20, 958, all

Summary: The committee met and approved the minutes, then heard announcements and introductions from members and guests, including an invitation to an East Kentucky trail ride opening and welcomes for new EPIC and Kentucky Coal Association representatives and several constituents. After the opening business, the committee turned to a presentation on nanotechnology and energy applications by Rodney Andrews of the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research. Andrews explained how nanoscale materials behave differently because of their size and surface area, and described uses in consumer products, batteries, solar panels, catalysts, coatings, sensors, and energy storage. Members asked about the relationship between nanomaterials and coal, and Andrews said carbon nanotubes can be made from coal-derived hydrocarbons, which members noted as an opportunity for Kentucky’s coal and manufacturing sectors. He also discussed work on improved solar coatings, more stable perovskites, fuel-processing catalysts, hydrogen storage, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, electromagnetic shielding, and conductive yarns and fabrics. The presentation also covered more advanced applications such as thermoelectric textiles, power transmission materials, thermal transport composites for aerospace, nanofluids for cooling, and fusion reactor shielding. In the final discussion, members raised questions about electromagnetic pulse protection and quantum computing; Andrews said the materials discussed could absorb and spread energy and that shielding applications may help with EMPs, while quantum computing remains limited by extremely low operating temperatures. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, I mean, I suppose we could have purchase agreements, and actually Hopkinton does have purchase
• <05:06:53.080> materials and and um you know purchasing materials and and um you know purchasing
• /c><05:07:06.840> and school districts for some bulk items and school districts for some bulk
• there's um um uh uh fuel uh purchasing there's um um uh uh fuel uh purchasing agreements<05:07:19.480
• <05:08:04.440> agreements transportation or purchasing agreements transportation or purchasing

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Funding Committee met in executive session and first took up HB 193, which clarifies that dual and concurrent enrollment courses may not exceed four credits. Members said the bill came from the community college system and was intended to preserve the program’s high school-to-college pathway. An amendment changing the effective date to passage was adopted 18-0, and the committee then voted 18-0 to recommend OTPA on the bill as amended, with the bill placed on the consent calendar. The committee then retained HB 295 and HB 366, both related to school building aid, after members said the issues were complex and needed more work. Both motions to retain passed 18-0, leaving the bills in committee without reports. The chair also said HB 354 would not be taken up that day because of possible changes from the Department of Education and others. HB 494, funding the math learning communities program, was then amended to flat-fund the program rather than increase it, with members citing budget uncertainty. The amendment passed unanimously, and the committee then voted 18-0 for OTPA on the bill as amended, placing it on consent. Finally, HB 515, which would repeal charter public school eligibility for state school building aid, drew debate over whether charter schools should be treated differently from traditional public schools. The committee voted 10-8 for inexpedient to legislate, sending the bill to the regular calendar; Representative Damon was assigned the minority report and Representative Popovic the majority report. The committee then began HB 716, an appropriation for the dual and concurrent enrollment program, where members discussed flat-funding the program at $2.5 million per year and the potential impact on course availability, but the transcript cuts off before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so on, but the one we are changing is on page two, line 15, a contract for purchase or sale of future
• And so on, but the one we are changing is on page two, line 15, a contract for purchase or sale of future
• And so on, but the one we are changing is on page two, line 15, a contract for purchase or sale of future
• You'll notice that the bulk of the bill was about seed potatoes, which I know has been keeping each and
• The bulk of the bill was about seed potatoes, which I know has been keeping each and every one of you

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• at a very, very high level has three steps: the government entity issues the bonds, the investors purchase
• 05:03.639> bonds<00:05:04.639> the<00:05:04.800> investors<00:05:05.320> purchase
• issues the bonds the investors purchase issues the bonds the investors purchase the<00:05:05.800
• Specifically, there's Chapter 16A, that's where the bulk of the statutory provisions are that relate
• Specifically, there's Chapter 16A, that's where the bulk of the statutory provisions are that relate

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Capital Investment Committee met on January 16 for an informational overview on state bonding and capital investment. House Research analyst Chelsea Griffin and House Fiscal analyst Andrew Lee explained the nonpartisan roles of their offices and then walked members through the basics of Minnesota bonding: how bonds are issued and repaid, how they are categorized, and the main legal authorities governing state general obligation bonds, including the state constitution, Minnesota statutes, and federal tax law. Griffin emphasized that state GO bond proceeds must be used for a public purpose, for a purpose authorized in the constitution, as specifically described in law, and must mature within 20 years. She also noted that state GO bonding is typically originated in the House and that capital projects financed with state GO bonds generally require a three-fifths vote in each chamber. The presentation also covered practical limits and requirements on bonding projects, including the distinction between state and local GO bonding, the role of bond counsel, restrictions on bond-financed property, the prohibition on reimbursing already-paid costs, and the full funding and non-state match requirements. In response to member questions, Griffin clarified that the full funding requirement in section 16A.502 means a project must be fully funded before the appropriation is available, while section 16A.86 reflects an expectation that local governments provide about half the financing for local projects, though the legislature can choose to fund more than half or waive a local match. She also said she did not believe a bill to make the 50 percent match requirement statutory passed last session. Lee then began a spreadsheet-based overview of the 2023 capital budget laws, explaining how capital investment spreadsheets are organized and how different fund types appear in the documents. He highlighted examples such as University of Minnesota projects funded with GO bonds and Minnesota State projects using user financing, where the system contributes a share of project costs from non-state sources such as tuition or system revenues. The committee did not take any votes or formal actions during this informational meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, ACHA would be required to employ the most cost-effective purchasing practices and, for the first
• That's ineligible people using EBT cards, people personally purchasing ineligible products with EBT cards
• First, ACHA would be required to employ the most cost-effective purchasing practices and, for the first
• I have the bulk of the unions in my area, better part of them.
• I have the bulk of the unions in my area, better part of them.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions, including recognition of the day’s doctor of the day, an intern, and a resolution honoring the late Bob Graham and firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber also adopted a resolution designating August 9, 2026, as Bob Graham Day. After routine announcements, the Senate moved to the special order calendar and took up a series of bills, many of them with House companion bills substituted in place of Senate versions. The first major floor action was passage of a tax-related bill conforming Florida’s Internal Revenue Code to federal changes while excluding certain provisions from H.R. 1; it passed 34-0. The Senate then considered CS/SB 1758 on public assistance and Medicaid, which proposed stronger fraud enforcement, a Medicaid work requirement for able-bodied adults, expanded behavioral health services, pharmacy and drug rebate reforms, and SNAP fraud reduction measures. A Berman amendment to require Medicaid expansion before work requirements was rejected, as was an Osgood amendment to add photo-ID protections and exemptions for certain SNAP users. The bill remained on the calendar for third reading after extensive debate and questioning about implementation, exemptions, and potential impacts on beneficiaries. The chamber also passed bills on technology education and AI instruction, a Parkinson’s disease registry and related public records exemption, designation of the SS American Victory as Florida’s official flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the sunset on gold and silver legal tender, public records exemptions for financial institutions and custodians, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, local government finance transparency, digital voyeurism, and insurance customer representative licensing. Most of these measures were adopted after brief explanation, minor amendments, or substitution of House companions, with votes generally in favor and several passing unanimously or by wide margins. Later, the Senate took up CS/SB 1756 on medical freedom, which would expand parental vaccine information requirements, add a conscience-based exemption, allow behind-the-counter ivermectin access, and repeal the sunset on the mRNA mandate prohibition. The bill’s first amendments clarified anti-kickback rules for vaccine manufacturers and required informational materials to address risks, benefits, safety, and efficacy; the transcript ends during consideration of this bill, before final passage is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, non-residents pay a bulk of our general fund through property taxes.
• So, non-residents pay a bulk of our general fund through property taxes.
• So, non-residents pay a bulk of our general fund through property taxes.
• So, non-residents pay a bulk of our general fund through property taxes.
• A bulk of our general fund through property taxes.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• energy from an electric public utility provided that the purchase does not increase rates to cover the
• This seems to contradict the entire intent or need for a microgrid if they can purchase power from the
• They purchase and provide these solar energy systems to low-income families.
• excess energy, excess energy that they're not using, and if a local electrical company decides to purchase
• Senator Bergman did the bulk of the work on this bill, but I signed on because I think it's so important

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, the bill allows the state to purchase agricultural land that was converted to solar fields after
• Finally, the bill allows the state to purchase agricultural land that was converted to solar fields after
• There's a provision in the bill regarding purchase of lands from a utility company, and it provides that
• And so moving forward, I would hope that the parameters of those purchases would be included in the bill
• Would hope that the parameters of those purchases would be included in the bill. Thank you.

Summary: The committee first took up CS for CS for CS for SB 462 on transportation. A substitute amendment was adopted that would require counties receiving transportation surtax proceeds to report how the money is used to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, prohibit certain airport fees tied to collegiate aviation flight training, create a Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority pilot program, and dedicate $10 million annually for a traffic signal modernization program. The amendment also removed several provisions from the bill, including a sales-tax transfer to the State Transportation Trust Fund, a bid-protest-related contracting requirement, and repeal of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council. A late-filed amendment was tabled, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS for CS for CS for SB 628, Lucy’s Law, which strengthens boating safety penalties for leaving the scene of a vessel accident and reckless operation. After the sponsor withdrew a pending amendment, the committee heard emotional testimony from Lucy’s parents and others in support, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee next considered CS for CS for SB 700, the Florida Farm Bill, under a strike-all amendment. The bill’s major provisions included removing non-purity additives from public water systems, requiring clearer labeling for meat, milk, poultry, and eggs, criminalizing drone harassment over farmland, updating agriculture disaster recovery programs, creating an honest services registry for charities tied to countries of concern, expanding FFA-related scholarships and school infrastructure, and allowing the state to repurchase certain former agricultural lands converted to solar fields. Testimony included strong support from agriculture and related groups, opposition from the Florida Bankers Association over a private right of action related to financial discrimination, and criticism from speakers opposed to fluoride removal. The bill was amended and then reported favorably despite some opposition. The committee also reported favorably SB 796, which authorizes DEP general permits for distributed wastewater treatment systems to replace failing septic tanks. The committee then took up a large strike-all for CS for SB 1618, a K-20 education package. The amendment combined provisions on VPK flexibility, early grade success, agriculture education, financial literacy, reading intervention, teacher assignment transparency, restrictions on spending public funds for political or social activism, emergency opioid antagonists, corporal punishment consent, teacher certification pathways, and other higher-education and workforce items from SB 1624, including guardrails for certain private religious postsecondary institutions. Members questioned the new prohibition on using public funds for political or social activism, with the sponsor saying it was intended to keep public schools from being a battleground for ideology; Equality Florida and the ACLU opposed that section. The amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee began extensive debate on CS for SB 7016, a major initiative-petition reform bill. The sponsors said the bill responds to fraud and abuse documented in a large Office of Election Crimes and Security report and would impose tighter rules on petition circulators, including Florida residency and U.S. citizenship requirements, training, shorter submission deadlines, stronger penalties, new identification requirements on petitions, and a 25% invalid-signature trigger for investigations by election-crimes officials. Senators raised numerous questions about due process, public records, penalties, the treatment of volunteers and former felons, the verification process, and the practical effect of the new deadlines and thresholds. The discussion was ongoing when the transcript ended, and no final vote on SB 7016 is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:10:14.719> power only to the fuel and the purchased power only to the fuel and the purchased
• We are purchasing solar from other places through MISO.
• We are purchasing solar from other places through MISO.
• We are purchasing solar from other places through MISO.
• <01:55:20.480> your requires a customer to purchase your requires a customer to purchase your

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• plays a crucial role not only providing food aid to millions around the world, but also directly purchasing
• In fact, the bulk of the money came from USAID.

Keywords: fiscal responsibility, government waste, foreign aid, funding resolution, legislative oversight

Summary: The committee meeting addressed government spending and foreign aid, with a particular emphasis on perceived wasteful expenditures. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing a funding resolution for the committee, which received unanimous support from the members present. The chair noted a quorum at the beginning of the meeting, signaling that the committee was ready to conduct its business. Discussions highlighted ongoing debates concerning fiscal responsibility and the necessity of legislative oversight, notably regarding foreign aid allocations and their implications for domestic fiscal health.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because then you're able to, what we call, break bulk.
• Keep pace with inflation so that the purchasing power of what is exempt is aimed to keep pace with market

Transcript Highlights:

• So, as you know, small businesses make up the bulk of our economy.
• and Shaheen, the Small Business Technological Advancement Act, that would clarify and promote the purchase