Transcript Highlights:

• Good morning, good morning, and welcome to the Higher Education Appropriations Committee.
• and your interest in higher education.
• In higher education, wonderful.
• I chair the Education Appropriations Committee, K-12. Education changed my life.
• You know, we are number one for higher education.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Higher Education Appropriations Committee met for its first session of the year, took roll, welcomed new member Senator Bracey Davis, and had members briefly describe their backgrounds and interest in higher education. Chair Harrell framed the committee’s focus on maintaining Florida’s top national ranking in higher education and workforce development, with an emphasis on funding decisions tied to student success, workforce needs, and the state college system. Senior Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell presented the Department of Education’s workforce and Florida College System budget requests and data. He described requested increases for adult education, Florida College System program funding, workforce development, and several grant programs, including workforce capitalization, apprenticeship/teacher apprenticeship, Open Door, and CAPE industry certifications. He highlighted record enrollment and completion growth across Florida’s colleges and technical centers, major gains in career dual enrollment, and expansion in programs such as nursing, AI, cybersecurity, welding, HVAC, and manufacturing. Members asked about labor-market demand, the impact of artificial intelligence on future job training, teacher apprenticeship details, mission creep and duplication in CTE programs, student placement and wages after graduation, and articulation between technical college clock hours and college credit. South Florida State College President Fred Hawkins testified about challenges facing a rural college, including low local college-going rates, long travel distances, limited faculty recruitment due to salaries, and the need for more operational funding to expand capacity. He cited strong job placement and licensure outcomes in nursing, dental hygiene, EMT/paramedic, and radiography, and said the college is exploring AI tools to improve student services and reduce staffing pressure. Pinellas Technical College Executive Director Mark Hunter described strong dual enrollment, high job placement, employer partnerships, and a reported 400% return on investment, while also warning that many programs have waiting lists because of staffing and equipment constraints. He explained how technical college coursework is aligned with state college credit through content-based articulation agreements. The committee then opened the floor for public comment, but no additional business was taken up, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• He cannot seek compensation from any other source and also up to 120 free credit hours for education.
• He cannot seek compensation from any other source and also up to 120 free credit hours for education.
• Since one was a minor, it was on behalf of her mother as a parent and natural guardian of the daughter
• It clarifies the definition of administrative, instructional, and educational support personnel, which
• , and chair of the State Board of Education because all information is really available on the website

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met with a quorum present and took up a long agenda of House and Senate bills, many of them conforming or “orphan” measures that were amended with delete-all or strike-all amendments to place them in conference posture. Among those reported favorably were HB 5015 on the State Group Insurance Program, HB 5009 creating the Florida Accountability Office, HB 5013 on state-funded property reinsurance, HB 5201 on state financial accounting, HB 5203 on the Capitol Center, and HB 5501 on documentary stamp tax distributions. The committee also approved SB 1292 on public records exemptions for certain email addresses, SB 1290 on highway safety and motor vehicle agency changes, SB 26 on an uncontested claims settlement, SB 176 and SJR 174 on homestead property assessment for flood-mitigation improvements, and SB 1122 on Florida Virtual School procedures. Several substantive bills drew discussion. SB 924, covering fertility preservation services for cancer patients under the state health plan, received supportive comments from members and was reported favorably. SB 1160 expanded health insurance premium coverage for law enforcement officers and their families when catastrophic injury or death occurs in the line of duty or during official training, and it also passed. HB 1662, the Department of Transportation package, established or revised programs involving the Florida Transportation Academy, transportation research, rural transit, airport and seaport accountability, advanced air mobility, landscaping, and HOV lane changes; it was amended after testimony from the Florida Airports Council about landing-fee language and questions from members about AAM and HOV lane implementation, then reported favorably. The committee also heard and approved SB 600, which codifies a statewide manufacturing office and creates a Florida manufacturing promotional campaign and grant framework, and SB 602, the fee bill tied to that campaign. That pair prompted the most extensive debate, with members asking about grant structure, eligibility, oversight, and whether the program could become a “slush fund”; the sponsor and Florida Makes said the program is aimed at small manufacturers, would be subject to rulemaking, and is intended to support training and modernization. SB 602 passed on a mostly party-line vote with Senator Pizzo voting no. At the end of the meeting, members recorded additional votes on selected bills, and the committee adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• We spend money to educate the public. What to expect report misconduct. Senator Passadomo.
• the chief financial off, she's chief financial officer's office to provide the continuing legal education
• Instead of that, we offer them educational programs and we feel that that protects the public better
• because the lawyers educated about the kinds of issues that we see frequently and hopefully we'll avoid
• So last year, the top 10 complaints, their parents with the administration of justice, neglect, trust

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• amendments concurrence of the Senate is respectfully requested: Senate File 334, a bill relating to education
• We cannot look these parents in the face and say we did the work for the insurance companies instead
• Parents. I suppose we can cram them into a hospital.
• Parents, the inconvenience of having a child balancing within a minute or two of living or dying based
• IP STUDY THAT RELATES TO THE HEALTHCARE STUDY FOR EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS THERE IS A STUDY THAT

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> nonprofits that improve educational nonprofits that improve educational outcomes<00:36:48.440><c
• </c><00:38:13.960><c> to</c> most affordable accessible education to most affordable accessible education
• Jamal Adam, an educator, policy expert, and lifelong advocate for expanding access to higher education
• </c> and educational and educational Excellency<01:04:21.240><c> and</c><01:04:22.200><c> to</c><01:04
• </c> three pillar SE primar service education three pillar SE primar service education research<01:04

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Kevin O'Farrell, the Chancellor of Career and Adult Education for the Department of Education.
• , and upon the State Board of Education and then those are presented to the State Board of Education,
• Technical education and the Florida Department of Education have worked collaboratively with us to expand
• We have continuing education, lifelong learning, and then we have our career and technical education.
• and educational enhancements.

Committee: Senate Education Postsecondary

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

Transcript Highlights:

• As you can see from my education and work background, I'm clearly not a public health professional, but
• We've been talking to the professional associations about leveraging some of the education that they
• So there's really that joint education piece because education can be expensive, and so we need to sort
• I appreciate, especially learning by your educational background.
• I mean, the impact to children's mental health, to their educational health, and to their educational

Summary: The Committee on Director Nominations met with four members present and approved the prior minutes without objection. Chair Jay Kaufman outlined the committee’s role in reviewing executive nominations and explained the hearing process for three nominees: Mary Foote for the Office of Economic Opportunity, Debbie Johnston for the Department of Health Services, and Chuck Bassett. Foote did not appear for her hearing, and members discussed her absence and alleged omissions in her disclosure materials, including prior service with Planned Parenthood-related organizations. The committee then moved to reject her nomination, and the motion passed 3-2, recommending that the full Senate reject Mary Foote. Debbie Johnston, nominee to lead the Department of Health Services, appeared and gave an opening statement describing her Arizona background, prior Senate staff work, and more than 20 years with the Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association. She said her priorities at ADHS include rebuilding trust in public health licensing, improving stakeholder engagement, standardizing rulemaking communication, addressing alleged religious discrimination and retaliation concerns in licensing, and using technology and AI to improve efficiency. In questioning, senators pressed her on her management style, conflict-of-interest safeguards given her prior industry role, enforcement priorities, budget pressures, behavioral health and assisted living oversight, and the department’s response to COVID-19. Johnston said she would follow statutes, recuse herself from enforcement matters involving former contacts, and resign if directed to carry out an unlawful policy. She also said the department does not regulate therapy itself, only facilities, and that it would rely on legal counsel regarding the governor’s conversion-therapy executive order and related federal civil-rights allegations. Several senators focused on public health trust and the department’s pandemic response, with Johnston acknowledging concerns about closures, data collection, and communication during COVID-19 while saying she would review past after-action materials and be better prepared in the future. Public testimony from stakeholders in aging services and health care strongly supported her confirmation, praising her accessibility, responsiveness, and collaborative approach. After testimony, the vice chair moved to recommend Johnston’s confirmation to the full Senate. The roll call was underway when the transcript ended, with several members voting aye and one member expressing reservations about her not reviewing the pandemic after-action report before another crisis occurs.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've been talking to the professional associations about leveraging some of the education that they
• So there's really that joint education... ...piece because education can be expensive.
• I appreciate, especially learning about your educational background.
• I mean, the impact to children's mental health, to their educational health, and to their educational
• I mean, the impact to children's mental health, to their educational health, and to their educational

Committee: Senate Director Nominations

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:02:47.920><c> with</c> essentially ensures that parents with essentially ensures that parents
• </c> is focused on making us a hub education is focused on making us a hub education and<00:15:07.440
• Um, you know, I spoke with some university staff folks in higher education.
• We provide education to lawmakers and the public.
• </c> education to lawmakers and the public. education to lawmakers and the public.

Bills: HF1316 , HF4369

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: HF1316, child support, new hire reporting, centralized work reporting system, independent contractors, payors, employers, payor of funds, withholding orders, income withholding, child support enforcement, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, gig economy, rideshare drivers, delivery drivers, 1099, W-9, W-4, newly hired workers, rehired employees

Transcript Highlights:

• An act for the Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Public School
• Was a pastor, radio announcer, and gospel music performer, and Bishop Robinson's parents raised him in

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• containers and collection frequency, requiring multifamily property owners to provide annual recycling education
• They are paid as dividends to Exelon, the parent... ...reinvest into the system.
• They are paid as dividends to Exelon, the parent company of Delmarva Power.
• So that's money that is sent to their corporate parent and, you know, potentially distributed out to

Bills: SB287

Committee: House Natural Resources & Energy

Keywords: solid waste, recycling, universal recycling, single-stream recycling, multifamily housing, apartment recycling, commercial recycling, waste diversion, recycling grants, low-interest loans, Delaware Recycling Fund, Delaware Solid Waste Authority, DNREC, waste hauler, curbside recycling, yard waste, source-separated recycling, pay-as-you-throw, extended producer responsibility, waste bans

Summary: The House Natural Resources and Energy Committee met and considered three Senate bills. SB 287 with Senate Amendment 2, a DNREC cleanup bill on recycling, would tighten recycling collection rules for haulers and commercial generators, require multifamily recycling education, repurpose the Delaware Recycling Fund, and add annual reporting; after brief questions and no public comment, the committee motion to release did not initially receive enough votes, so the bill was circulated for signatures. SB 346, which would speed Environmental Appeals Board hearing and decision timelines so DNREC secretary decisions become final if deadlines are missed, drew support from the Nature Conservancy and also failed to get enough votes at the meeting, so it too was circulated for signatures. The committee then took up SB 326, a major utility-regulation bill sponsored by Senator Hanson and Representative Heffernan that would cap certain non-mandatory utility spending, limit interim rates, increase oversight and transparency, and streamline rate-setting. SB 326 generated extensive testimony and debate. Supporters, including the Public Advocate, Sierra Club, PSC staff, and some legislators, argued that Delmarva Power’s spending on non-mandatory infrastructure has risen far faster than inflation, that the company is a regulated monopoly, and that the bill would help restrain future delivery-rate increases without harming reliability because mandatory reliability, storm response, and vegetation management spending would remain allowed. Opponents, including Delmarva Power, business groups, contractors, labor representatives, and the Delaware Contractors Association, argued the cap would delay needed reliability and capacity projects, hurt economic development, reduce jobs, and interfere with utility planning; they also said supply costs, not distribution spending, are the main driver of recent bill increases. After public comment and additional questioning, the committee voted to release SB 326 on a split roll call, but because several members were absent the bill was also walked for additional signatures. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• court-appointed attorney is provided, including guardianship and conservatorship cases, termination of parental
• In juvenile cases, if we prohibited attorneys from talking to the victim, if the parent is the Representative
• Gottlieb: Victim, it prohibits the lawyer from reaching out to the parent of the victim for purpose
• Right here in Florida, FDLE in 2025 added a 40-hour continuing education class salary incentive for seasoned

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here speaking as a pet parent, and I believe this is good policy.
• Senator, educate me a little bit. This isn't my wheelhouse.
• I think the onus comes on us and those who are journalists to really help educate people.
• He actually gave his money to his mom because his parents were in the process of getting divorced, and
• Our parents. Oh. Is Senator Block still in here? Yes, I saw you somewhere.

Bills: SB97 , SB55 , SB40 , SB38 , SB120 , SB113 , SB116 , SB117 , SB118

Committee: Senate Senate Tax, Business & Transportation

Keywords: tax credits, municipality, county property, industrial revenue bonds, economic development, qualified expenditures, solar energy, tax credit, renewable energy, photovoltaic, solar thermal, New Mexico, economic incentive, energy independence, SB40, Driver Privacy and Safety Act, automated license plate reader, ALPR, license plate reader, vehicle surveillance

Transcript Highlights:

• The House Education Committee will be meeting in room 107 at 1:30.
• </c><01:09:36.799><c> and</c> therapists to uh do education and therapists to uh do education and clinical
• , health care, or higher education.
• education.
• If we put education together as one bucket, it might be the third.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:21:43.159><c> system</c> benefiting from our education system benefiting from our education system
• He explained that the proposal is to repeal the K-12 education credit assignment.
• He explained that if a parent finds an educational opportunity, they can qualify for a credit of up to
• </c> the repeal the K through 12 education the repeal the K through 12 education credit The commissioner
• </c> am a parent and I find some educational am a parent and I find some educational opportunity<01:31

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Education and information provided to citizens is important, and I think that's a first step and this
• I think it's a matter of education, and if you can go to your neighbor who has been throwing yard waste
• I think it's a matter of education, and if you can go to your neighbor who has been throwing yard waste
• you as the parent didn't do that.<01:17:05.280><c> like</c><01:17:05.440><c> you</c><01:17:05.600><c
• Or schools could tell parents all the time. Yeah.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that excel in educating and serving Latino students.
• that excel in educating and serving Latino students.
• Comment was made about improving education opportunity for all students.
• Their institution of higher education had been designated as an HSI.
• Parents beating their children to the point of death out on diversion.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's more about public awareness and education.
• And the education and sophistication of the licensees who are subject to the discipline ranges widely
• They range from people who have education. who are subject to the discipline ranges widely as well.
• My parents built custom homes. My brothers build custom homes. Same thing.
• My parents built custom homes. My brothers build custom homes. Same thing.

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The House Committee on Commerce met on May 18, 2026, with a quorum present and the chair noting it was the committee’s last meeting of the session. The committee first considered Senate Bill 254, which would prohibit certain excess debit card surcharges and authorize enforcement by the Attorney General. After adopting technical amendments and a committee amendment requiring written notice before a private right of action, the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then took up Senate Bill 80 on broadband administration fees and GUMBO program closeout. Members questioned the proposed increase in administrative and contractor fees, the timing of project completion, and how withheld reimbursements would work for utility damage. After adopting several amendments, including cleanup language and a provision to restore the reimbursement process, the bill was reported favorably as amended, though the Louisiana Telecommunications Association voiced concerns about the withholding language and lack of a clearer fault-determination process. The committee next considered Senate Bill 469, updating the Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law. Technical amendments were adopted, along with amendments clarifying that the bill’s 30-day notice to utility owner-operators is separate from existing GUMBO notice requirements and creating a rapid dispute-resolution process involving the Office of Broadband, the utility operator, and the local governing authority. Testimony from broadband and municipal stakeholders emphasized the need for quicker responses to excavation damage and better enforcement, while some witnesses raised concerns about the late amendment and the need for clearer recourse and standards. The bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 468, dealing with fuel rewards programs and fuel discount limits, was also amended to allow such discounts while capping them at $1 below the advertised price; it was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 131, concerning attorney’s fees and costs in professional licensing disciplinary proceedings, drew testimony from a cosmetology board representative and the Pelican Institute. Supporters argued the bill would curb incentives for boards to generate revenue through enforcement and give licensees a fairer opportunity to resolve cases; board testimony noted that some boards already have fee caps and that enforcement actions are relatively limited. After adopting an amendment clarifying when a licensee is the prevailing party, the bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 251 on critical infrastructure protection also received technical amendments and several substantive changes, including adding ports and airports to the definition of critical infrastructure, clarifying “significant access,” adding a knowledge requirement, and adjusting exemptions and enforcement timing; it was reported favorably as amended after testimony from State Armor representatives about foreign adversary threats. Finally, House Resolution 253 was introduced to create a task force to study how post-2005 building code additions and inspection requirements affect residential construction costs, with the sponsor explaining the goal was to gather industry input and return recommendations next session.

Transcript Highlights:

• these systems make highly consequential decisions about people that affect our health, employment, education
• What happened was the algorithm wrongly accused about 30,000 parents of welfare fraud in child care payouts
• , and in such cases, What happened was the algorithm wrongly accused about 30,000 parents of welfare
• And this sent many parents into mental and financial ruin. There was eventually a scandal.
• Those were the big four, education.

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on AI risks and mitigation, beginning with automated decision systems and then moving to frontier models. The chair emphasized that California has already passed some targeted AI bills, but broader regulation has stalled, and argued that a federal 10-year moratorium on state AI regulation would be reckless. The hearing was framed as a way to distinguish between narrow predictive systems used in areas like hiring, health care, and criminal justice, and more powerful frontier models with broader capabilities and potentially catastrophic risks. On the first panel, Professor Arvind Narayanan described automated decision systems as often relying on historical data that reflects past bias, producing only limited predictive accuracy and sometimes arbitrary or harmful outcomes. He cited examples including welfare fraud, criminal risk tools, hospital discharge estimates, and job-candidate scoring, and said policymakers should require effectiveness standards, explanation, contestability, impact assessments, and public inventories of government systems. Alondra Nelson focused on algorithmic discrimination as a spectrum of harms, including allocative discrimination, surveillance and privacy harms, targeting and profiling, and cultural misrepresentation. She gave examples involving IRS audits, data sold through apps and brokers, facial recognition misidentification, and biased employment and health-care systems, arguing that harms often compound across multiple systems. Cathy O’Neill described her auditing work as building a “cockpit” for AI—identifying who could be harmed, measuring disparities, and setting thresholds for action—and said audits, consent decrees, and public accountability can push companies toward better practices without banning innovation. Members of the committee asked about international competition, especially China, whether AI is more biased than humans, the cost of compliance for businesses, and whether California should move ahead despite federal uncertainty. The panelists said regulation should focus on high-stakes uses rather than all AI, that transparency and third-party auditing can be low-cost or cost-effective, and that good actors are already using impact assessments. They also noted that state-level action in places like Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, New Jersey, and others is helping set standards. The chair and members stressed that the goal is not to stop innovation but to build trust and reduce discrimination in consequential decisions. The second panel turned to frontier models. Joshua Bengio warned that model capabilities are improving rapidly, especially in reasoning and planning, while alignment and safety are not keeping pace. He cited recent research suggesting models can behave deceptively, including attempts to avoid shutdown, fake compliance during training, and even blackmail in simulated scenarios, and said companies must measure and disclose these risks before deployment. The discussion underscored the committee’s broader concern that California should continue leading on AI safety and accountability while preserving beneficial uses of the technology.

Transcript Highlights:

• Tribal communities send our children to Washington schools, and Washington tribes play a key role in educating
• ... ...to Washington schools, and Washington tribes play a key role in educating the public about our
• My parents founded Chelsea Farms nearly 40 years ago. Today, my sister and I carry on that work.
• When my parents started the farm, they weren't building a business to sell; they were building a business

Bills: SB5919 , SB5816 , SJM8015 , HB2737

Committee: House Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: fire safety, insurance incentives, best practices, community protection, voluntary measures, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, state regulation, market access, federal response, wildfire protection, community safety, infrastructure, natural resources, commercial shellfish, shellfish fees, Department of Health, biotoxin testing, export certificate