Transcript Highlights:

• When networks weaken, patients lose access to network care, negotiated rates, and protection from balance
• Dentists agree to negotiated fees and consumer protections in exchange for direct payment and patient
• AB 1629 would extend direct payment to non-contracted dentists without requiring them to accept negotiated
• In-network dentists are prohibited from balance billing beyond the negotiated fees, whereas out-of-network
• AB 1629 makes it more likely that patients will be pushed out of network, lose negotiated fee protections

Committee: House Health

Transcript Highlights:

• But one of the last conversations I had with Speaker Hortman, um, a side conversation during the negotiations
• , um a side conversation<00:15:30.720><c> during</c><00:15:31.040><c> the</c><00:15:31.279><c> negotiations
• </c><00:15:32.000><c> and</c> conversation during the negotiations and conversation during the negotiations
• bunch of those students overseas to go to the United Nations Conference of the Parties climate negotiation
• She took those students overseas to the United Nations Conference of the Parties climate negotiation.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is actually narrower in scope and has been negotiated with all interested parties, including
• We're negotiating and working. It's awesome. Thank you. Short session.
• You talked about getting a lot of negotiations with stakeholders.
• Did those negotiations... ...a lot of negotiations with stakeholders.
• Did those negotiations get stakeholders to supporting this, or did it get them to neutral?

Committee: House Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• of those—the sector plan, the DRI, none of those required any type of setback that you could be negotiated
• But with local government, it could be negotiated.
• But with local government, it could be negotiated. You run into a very...
• Local government, it could be negotiated.
• actually need... ...when someone comes in to do a development, our county commissioners actually negotiate

Bills: S0002 , S0026 , S0354 , S1112 , S1192 , S1220 , S1352 , S1670

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development heard several bills and reported most of them favorably. The first major measure, CS/SB 1220, was described as a broad transportation package expanding FDOT authority over trails, seaports, aviation, advanced air mobility, delivery devices, and related technology, while also addressing toll revenue use, autonomous vehicle penalties, digital driver licenses, and an FDOT study on alternative-fuel vehicles. An amendment narrowed some provisions, including local regulation of personal delivery devices and FDOT airport language. Senator Smith and others raised concerns about language involving FDOT assistance to local governments on federal grant applications, but the bill passed unanimously after support from industry and local-government appearance cards. The committee also approved SB 1112, the Labor Pool Act, which would prohibit labor pools from charging placement fees when workers are hired permanently by a third-party employer and require annual registration with the Department of Commerce. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would reduce barriers to full-time employment, improve oversight, and help returning citizens and low-wage workers; multiple witnesses testified in support, including labor advocates and individuals describing high placement fees. Senators from both parties praised the bill’s worker and reentry benefits, and it passed unanimously. The committee then favorably reported SB 2, a claims bill for the estate of Danielle Maudsley arising from a fatal FHP arrest incident and settlement, and SB 26, another claims bill providing relief for the estate of Mark Legata after alleged FDOT negligence. Senate Bill 1352 on motor vehicles also passed without opposition. It would create a secure online portal for license plate seizure processing, allow disabled veterans to retain their DV plate designation upon reissuance or transfer, ban license plate covers and similar devices that obscure plates, and route certain online driver license and ID transactions through county tax collectors. SB 1192, a customer service pilot requiring callback queues for certain calls to the Department of Commerce and Department of Children and Families, was likewise reported favorably to improve response times and reduce hold times. The most extensive debate centered on CS/SB 354, the Blue Ribbon Projects bill, which would create a new process for very large developments on 10,000-acre or larger parcels if the owner sets aside 60% of the land for conservation or reserve uses. Supporters said it was intended to promote long-range planning, preserve land, and provide certainty for infrastructure and services, while opponents from counties, planning groups, and environmental organizations argued it would preempt local land-use authority, weaken public participation, and allow conservation requirements to be too vague. An amendment added more detail, but concerns remained about administrative approval, timelines, and the definition of reserve areas. Despite opposition from some members, the committee reported the bill favorably on a divided vote. SB 1670 was temporarily postponed, and the committee adjourned after recording one member’s vote on SB 1220.

Transcript Highlights:

• of those—the sector plan, the DRI, none of those required any type of setback that you could be negotiated
• But with local government, it could be negotiated. You run into a very...
• But with local government, it could be negotiated. You run into a very...
• Local government, it could be negotiated.
• When someone comes in to do a development, our county commissioners actually negotiate with the landowner

Bills: S0002 , S0026 , S0354 , S1112 , S1192 , S1220 , S1352 , S1670

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• I would say the negotiations that went on in 2023 and 2024 brought to light the fact that not only are
• So are there any groundwater users that have been adversely affected, and have you had to negotiate with
• The department published a notice of intent to negotiate the Shoshone-Bannock Water Bank rules on April
• As part of the rulemaking process, the department hosted two public negotiation meetings over the course
• The department published the notice of intent to negotiate stream alteration rules on April 2, 2025.

Committee: Senate Resources and Environment

Transcript Highlights:

• There was one component of your statement when I was looking through possibilities negotiating regarding
• I wanted to simply point out before we vote that we... ...have negotiated with the House of Representatives
• She has been an extraordinary partner, and she is the one who negotiated what I consider to be a very
• I think that we are close to figuring out negotiating products.
• Municipalities to negotiate with school districts and prohibiting district-owned properties allowing

Transcript Highlights:

• just overhauled the Levine Act last year through SB 1243 and SB 1181 after months of extensive negotiation
• Its carefully negotiated provisions have yet to be tested in regular elections, given the extensive work
• As Trent noted, it was increased just last year after extensive negotiations with local governments,
• What I would have loved to have seen, and I wasn't a part of the negotiations, would have been updating
• I just wanted to hear from the author in terms of the negotiations or conversations with the Assembly

Summary: The Assembly Elections Committee met on April 30, 2025, beginning as a subcommittee until a quorum was established. The committee first approved six bills on consent, including AB 950, AB 953, AB 1214, and three committee bills. It then heard several measures dealing with election administration, ballot transparency, and campaign finance, with most authors accepting committee amendments and several bills being held on call for absent members. AB 930 by Assembly Member Ward would extend the deadline for counting timely postmarked vote-by-mail ballots from three to seven days after Election Day and update recount procedures, including online posting of recount results and clearer rules for recount requests. The bill was supported by county election officials and passed out of committee with a due-pass recommendation, though it was initially held on call. AB 459 by Assembly Member DeMaio proposed allowing electronic signatures for initiatives, referenda, and recalls; the Secretary of State and labor groups opposed it over security, implementation, and cost concerns, and the committee ultimately rejected the bill after reconsideration. AB 699 by Assembly Member Stephanie would change how local tiered tax and bond measures are described on ballots by allowing more detail to be placed in the voter guide; housing, school, and local government groups supported it, while taxpayer and realtor groups opposed it as reducing ballot transparency. AB 1188, presented on behalf of Assembly Member Ortega, would list the top three funders supporting and opposing statewide initiatives and referenda directly on the ballot; transparency advocates and labor supported it, while county election officials and business groups raised concerns about ballot length and processing costs. Both AB 699 and AB 1188 passed out of committee with amendments and were held on call. The committee also heard AB 827 by Assembly Member Berman, which would standardize and extend the deadline for curing vote-by-mail signature problems, add a link to cure forms in ballot-tracking notifications, and make other changes to improve ballot curing. It drew no opposition in the hearing and passed with a due-pass recommendation. AB 351 by Assembly Member McKenna would raise the Levine Act contribution threshold for local officials to $1,500 and add CPI adjustments; supporters said it would reduce administrative burdens and reflect modern campaign finance realities, while good-government groups and the League of Women Voters opposed it as weakening anti-corruption protections. The committee initially failed AB 351, then granted reconsideration, but the transcript ends before a final disposition is clearly completed. Finally, AB 1079 by Assembly Member Farías would eliminate the automatic appellate stay in California Voting Rights Act and Fair Maps Act cases; it was supported as a way to prevent delayed remedies in voting rights cases, opposed by the City of Santa Monica over impacts on ongoing litigation, and passed with amendments. After taking up the held items, the committee recorded final votes on the bills, including passage of AB 930, AB 699, AB 1188, AB 827, and AB 1079, and rejection of AB 459.

Transcript Highlights:

• we're considering creating a it's a statewide structural framework for how that you could even negotiation
• would provide comfort and support to be a part of the statutory framework for these co-location negotiations
• I think there will be elements of negotiation that are not included in what's in statutory framework.
• So they have to first degree before any negotiate any contract can be created on all the levels of how
• think after initial hiccups of you go here and I go there, all of that will be within contract and negotiated

Transcript Highlights:

• That includes one-way attorney's fees that now must be included in every negotiation.
• know what, I'm not going to beat your offer, so I'm not going to include attorney's fees in my negotiation
• What that means is we don't get to negotiate the terms of the contract.
• So if you're asking for your contract to be paid in whole and you're making an offer, you're negotiating
• So the PFS... ...whole and you're making an offer, you're negotiating against yourself.

Summary: The committee met to hear five banking and insurance-related bills. HB 1549, an Office of Financial Regulation agency bill to help more efficiently regulate financial institutions, was amended to match Senate companion language and then passed unanimously. HB 1231 would extend physician payment and prior-authorization protections similar to a prior dental law, including limits on virtual credit card payments as the sole payment method; physicians and medical groups supported it as a way to reduce fees and retroactive denials, while insurers were not heard in opposition, and the bill passed unanimously. The committee then heard HB 999, which would make gold and silver legal tender and allow transactions in bullion through electronic debit mechanisms. The sponsor and several proponents framed it as an inflation hedge and economic freedom measure, while questions focused on definitions, transaction costs, and vendor participation. The bill passed on a mostly party-line vote, with one member voting no. The committee also approved HM 4363, a memorial urging Congress to establish a sovereign wealth fund; the sponsor described it as a way to steward national wealth, and the memorial passed with one dissenting vote. Finally, the committee took up HB 1551, which would create a prevailing-party attorney fee framework in insurance contract disputes. The sponsor argued it would restore balance, deter meritless litigation, and help consumers with valid claims recover fees, while insurers, business groups, and defense attorneys warned it would revive one-way fee shifting, increase litigation, and raise premiums. Consumer advocates and some members supported it as necessary to give policyholders meaningful recourse. After debate, the bill passed favorably, with one member voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the PBM's main role is to negotiate on behalf of their customer, which is us.
• So their job is to negotiate individually with manufacturers to provide us with those costs, and we lean
• I'm a great negotiator.
• Great negotiator.
• That was our compromise that we had negotiated last year.

Summary: The Budget Committee met with a quorum and took up several bills. HB 677, relating to state-covered fertility preservation for employees undergoing cancer treatment, was introduced as coverage for egg and sperm preservation for up to three years, with an estimated fiscal impact of about $813,000. After brief questions and no public testimony or amendments, the bill passed unanimously and was reported favorably. The committee then considered CS/HB 59, which would reform Florida’s wrongful incarceration compensation process by extending the filing deadline from 90 days to two years, removing the clean-hands requirement, and allowing exonerees to choose between the state compensation process and a civil lawsuit; it was supported by the City of Flagler Beach and passed unanimously. CS/HB 1313, which recreates the Resilient Florida Trust Fund in the Department of Environmental Protection before its scheduled termination in 2025, also passed unanimously after supportive testimony from advocacy groups. The committee received a lengthy presentation from the Department of Management Services on the State Group Insurance Program and the recent Revenue Estimating Conference. The presentation covered enrollment, revenues and expenditures, rising medical and pharmacy costs, emergency room utilization, GLP-1 drug spending, and options for tighter formulary and utilization management. Members asked about ER cost growth, GLP-1 coverage and copays, PBM oversight and potential conflicts, avoidable ER visits, cancer screening claims, dental and vision costs, specialty drug biosimilars, and possible savings from more restrictive pharmacy models. DMS said it would follow up on several questions and noted ongoing work on cancer coordination, preventive screening, biomarker testing, and a proposed member-facing benefits platform. The committee also heard extensive testimony on HB 301, which would raise sovereign immunity caps from $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident to $1 million and $3 million, align limitations periods with private claims, and allow government entities to settle above the caps without a claims bill. Local governments, school-related entities, and county and city associations opposed the bill, warning of major fiscal impacts, higher insurance costs, and pressure on services; several speakers urged smaller increases or a tiered approach. Proponents, including families affected by catastrophic injury or death, argued the current caps are too low and the claims bill process is inefficient and unfair. After debate, the bill passed on a recorded vote, with some members voting no, and was reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Came down, that was a plea agreement, not a plea agreement, but a negotiated agreement between the two
• Obviously, you would have to sign something before you, you know, enter into the negotiations and purchase
• a gag rule where the bargaining of the potential bargaining unit could Could talk about their negotiations

Bills: SB1824 , SB1813 , SB1326 , SB1277 , SB1937 , SB1217 , SB1826 , SB1641

Committee: House Business

Keywords: corporation, corporate governance, business entities, Oklahoma General Corporation Act, limited liability company, LLC, shareholder rights, beneficial owner, controlling shareholder, control group, interested director, fiduciary duty, books and records inspection, corporate records, ratification, defective corporate acts, putative stock, stock issuance, treasury shares, rights and options

Transcript Highlights:

• But we very clearly negotiated that with the home builders to ensure that they weren't having more costs
• This is just excluding the parts that we negotiated to exclude last year because tracer wire went on
• And as we negotiated that bill, the Home Builders Association came to us and said, hey, we just want

Committee: House Utilities

Transcript Highlights:

• And then you start negotiating in the course of building it. Obviously, that changes, too.
• I'm not apparently meant to divulge the details of the contract negotiations and how that works.
• </c><00:52:46.480><c> and</c> details of the contract negotiations and details of the contract negotiations
• ended and without going negotiations ended and without going into<00:53:10.640><c> details,</c><00:53
• </c> the negotiations ended than Anthem was. the negotiations ended than Anthem was.

Summary: The Fiscal Committee met on January 23, 2026, approved the December 19, 2025 minutes, and adopted the remaining items on the consent calendar after noting several withdrawals. The committee then took up Department of Safety item FIS 26007, which involved Homeland Security/FEMA grant funding for equipment and UAS-related activities. Senators asked whether any of the funding would support federal civil immigration enforcement or shared operations with federal agencies, and about privacy protections for drone data. The department said the grant is governed by federal parameters, that the state uses the remaining 20 percent after federally directed uses, and that privacy law in this area is evolving. The item was adopted on an 8-2 vote. The committee next considered Department of Environmental Services item 26003, which had been withdrawn by the Senate. A senator said concerns about using the funds for a different project had been resolved after speaking with the commissioner, and the item was adopted without further debate. The committee then moved to Department of Health and Human Services item 260005, a request for about $700,000 in remaining ARPA-related funds for the Hampstead children’s facility project. Commissioners explained that the project had been funded in stages because the original appropriation was based on estimates and bid assumptions, and that the remaining money would cover alternates and finish the project without using general funds. Senators raised concerns about repeated requests for additional money, the adequacy of security, site-selection costs, and why the project had not been fully funded at the outset. The department said the project had been intentionally structured to proceed in phases and that required security would be provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the reason, uh, for the most part, you know, negotiations are negotiations, but I'm a little disappointed
• But the reason, uh, for the most part, you know, negotiations are negotiations, but I'm a little disappointed
• But the reason, uh, for the most part, you know, negotiations are negotiations, but I'm a little disappointed
• </c><00:52:27.440><c> are</c><00:52:27.680><c> negotiations,</c> you know, negotiations are negotiations
• , you know, negotiations are negotiations, but<00:52:28.559><c> I'm</c><00:52:29.040><c> I</c><00:52:

Bills: HF2563

Committee: House Legacy Finance

Keywords: HF2563, legacy finance bill, Legacy Amendment, outdoor heritage fund, clean water fund, parks and trails fund, arts and cultural heritage fund, Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, Clean Water Council, Minnesota legacy funds, habitat conservation, prairie restoration, wetland restoration, forest conservation, riparian buffers, water quality, groundwater protection, drinking water, septic systems, watershed planning

Transcript Highlights:

• There was no negotiating. There's no upcharge. It's all done right there. Yes, sir.
• And I would think too that from a negotiating standpoint I'm gonna use vehicles for a moment because
• You wouldn't want to be negotiating a lease with one of them.
• The left is what our leasing office actually negotiated, and that's what they put on contract.
• We negotiated contract average about $15.94. Are there any other?

Bills: HB10 , HB 12 , HB675 , HB10 , HB12

Committee: House Delivery of Government Efficiency

Keywords: regulatory reform, government efficiency, administrative law, rulemaking, agency deference, judicial review, de novo review, Texas Government Code, Administrative Procedure Act, state agencies, plain language, regulatory burden, regulatory reduction, cost-benefit analysis, fiscal note, public benefits and costs, contested case, rule challenge, Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, advisory panel

Transcript Highlights:

• Just to give you an example, and if they negotiate up further from that, you know, it could be a negotiation
• Just to give you an example, and if they negotiate up further from that, you know, it could be a negotiation
• Um we review those to negotiated rates.
• </c><02:21:02.319><c> and</c><02:21:02.479><c> bargaining</c> and negotiating and bargaining and negotiating
• Basically, whatever that negotiated now.

Committee: Joint Select Committee on Gaming

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh it was a negotiated settlement in a lawsuit. Negotiated settlement by whom?
• settlement in a it was a negotiated settlement in a lawsuit. lawsuit. lawsuit.
• Negotiated<00:10:14.120><c> settlement</c><00:10:14.600><c> by</c><00:10:14.760><c> whom?
• </c> Negotiated settlement by whom? Negotiated settlement by whom?
• </c> The state and the plaintiffs negotiated The state and the plaintiffs negotiated the<00:10:20.840

Bills: SB1

Committee: House Ways and Means General Fund

Transcript Highlights:

• The second-to-last bill will let you reclassify them, and you negotiate compensation because they now
• Speaker, I guess my question is that the evaluation is negotiated with the Teachers' Union and, in a
• Again, it's only the compensation piece that would be negotiated on this. I was going to borrow...
• Again, it's only the compensation piece that would be negotiated on this. Representative Bartleman.
• interlocal agreements, to make... ...assess local growth corridors or negotiate interlocal agreements

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Judge John Carlin, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a recognition of FSU Police Officer Cody Popple for his actions during the April campus shooting. The Speaker also outlined the final week of session, noting the House would focus on Senate bills and returning messages, and that the 2026-27 budget would not be completed by the end of the week. The chamber then adopted the special order calendar for the day. The House passed several technical and open-government bills, mostly on strong bipartisan votes. These included SB 100, SB 104, and SB 102 on the Florida Statutes and reviser changes; SB 7006, SB 7014, SB 7002, SB 7012, SB 7024, SB 7016, SB 7026, SB 7008, SB 7000, and SB 7004, which extended or preserved various public records or meeting exemptions involving the Public Service Commission, social media investigations, military affairs, highway safety investigations, cybersecurity, small business loan records, trade secrets, emergency shelter locations, and conviction integrity units. Members asked questions on several of these bills, especially about the scope and purpose of the exemptions, but the bills generally advanced with little opposition. The chamber also took up more substantive measures. SB 7040 recreated the emergency preparedness and response trust fund and drew extended debate over whether the fund had been misused for the Everglades detention facility; an Escamani amendment to let the fund expire failed, while a Griffiths amendment adding limits and oversight was adopted, and the bill ultimately passed 82-25. CS/CS/SB 302 on coastal resiliency passed unanimously after supporters highlighted nature-based shoreline protection and a Biscayne Bay provision. CS/CS/SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits passed after a House amendment aligned it with the House version. CS/SB 474 on military affairs passed unanimously after an amendment allowing local governments to extend Guard leave. SB 488 on the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles was debated extensively over vehicle registration requirements, license plate frames, and I-94 documentation, with amendments including one for disabled veterans and another on dealer allocation; the transcript cuts off before final disposition of that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• But there's a little bit of negotiation that is going on with Turtle Mountain regarding what data they
• However, that negotiation is still happening today.
• We do have a public health attorney on staff that is trying to negotiate this with the state attorneys
• So that's kind of where it's at with the negotiation: we don't know how to give you only your tribal
• So that one was probably an easy one to negotiate.

Summary: The meeting focused heavily on behavioral health and substance use treatment, especially the IMD exclusion and whether North Dakota should pursue a Section 1115 waiver to allow Medicaid reimbursement for services in institutions for mental diseases for adults ages 21 to 64. Turtle Mountain representatives described major local needs, including limited access to care, high syphilis rates, and the importance of timely public health data. They also discussed the tribe’s recovery center, which opened the prior year, now operating five levels of care with 16 beds, and the desire to expand capacity, possibly through an IMD waiver or related policy changes. Committee members also raised related issues such as rural health transformation funding, telehealth, workforce retention, and the need for better coordination between tribal and state public health systems. A central issue was Turtle Mountain Public Health’s long-running effort to secure a data use agreement with the state so it can receive surveillance data and respond directly to infectious disease cases among tribal members. Speakers said the tribe had a successful COVID-era agreement that allowed faster contact tracing and case management, but that agreement ended with the pandemic. They argued that current delays in sharing data, especially for sexually transmitted infections, leave the tribe unable to respond quickly, while the state and county epidemiology workload is too distant and stretched to be effective. Committee members expressed support and said they would look into the issue, noting that other tribes have secured similar agreements. The committee also heard a detailed presentation from the National Health Law Program on the IMD exclusion. The presenter explained that federal Medicaid law generally bars payment for care in facilities with more than 16 beds, but that states can use other tools such as state plan amendments, managed care arrangements, telehealth, and community-based services. He said IMD waivers are administratively complex, time-limited, and have shown mixed results in other states, with some gains in residential treatment access but limited evidence of improved overdose outcomes or stronger community-based care. He urged the committee to consider broader continuum-of-care solutions and cautioned that waivers alone are not a cure-all. No final vote was taken on the bill draft during the portion shown, but the committee discussed the proposal to appropriate $49,000 and one FTE to HHS to pursue an IMD waiver and report back in the next interim. Members also debated the policy rationale for the 16-bed limit, the role of the state versus tribal sovereignty, and whether the bill should move through the Health Care or Human Services committee in the future.