Transcript Highlights:

• I've represented providers of most of the state's licensing boards.
• They're the only board that's empowered legally to take action against that provider.
• So, we provide a service. I, I'm sorry. So we provide a service. So you need your hernia fixed.
• So, the surgeon provides, you know, we, we provide the service as far as the facility fee.
• Thank you for the opportunity to provide my testimony.

Committee: House Public Health

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm sure they're listening out there and can provide that answer.
• Connecting to those lines, as they connect to the system, will provide these resources.
• Highly unincorporated, so these are the only people providing safety services for the community.
• Are they not then responsible to provide the safety services there?
• If they're not, shouldn't they be responsible for providing those safety services?

Bills: HB158 , HB714 , HB 1198 , HB1630 , HB1998 , HB3509 , HB3788 , HB3875 , HB3948 , HB3977 , HB4097 , HB4313 , HB4314 , HB4317 , HB158

Committee: House Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: housing, veterans, surplus government property, affordable housing, funding sources, housing assistance, homeless prevention, landlord incentives, rural housing, domestic violence, community development, tenant readiness, program participants, financial assistance, homelessness, rental support, Texas Tenant Readiness Program, tenant assistance, housing stability, Texas Department of Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• creates a minimum interest rate for law firm trust accounts by requiring savings institutions to provide
• Since that time, Florida is only one of 2 states that does not provide general funding for civil legal
• Are you here as an immigrant and if so, please provide documentation.
• We are prohibited from providing any legal assistance to undocumented. Thank you. Thank you.
• And then we we provide that coverage.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll give a moment for you to review the amendments and provide an explanation of that amendment.
• And I know we talk a lot in this building about trying to help Recruit medical providers, and one big
• thing we set out to really understand and do this session was to relieve GRT from medical providers.
• I think today was an example of working together to provide the greater good for our communities.
• Care Fund, so we can increase the amount of child care that we're providing in the state of New Mexico

Transcript Highlights:

• It provides the centers with their original base funding from the last budget cycle of $311,000 each
• when someone enters a providers when someone enters a long-term<00:03:35.720><c> care</c> long-term
• </c><00:03:44.720><c> the</c> what the bill does it provides the what the bill does it provides the senors
• skill providers to Pro and coaches skill providers to Pro and others<00:04:09.000><c> that</c><00:04
• </c> others that can provide for Independence others that can provide for Independence for<00:04:10.680

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> through Minnesota housing to provide through Minnesota housing to provide flexible<00:34:28.320>
• </c> provide all the services necessary. provide all the services necessary. um<00:54:23.359><c> if</
• </c><01:10:34.960><c> enhanced</c> pair the tax credit to provide enhanced pair the tax credit to provide
• </c> provide a suggestion. provide a suggestion.
• </c><01:36:02.400><c> for</c> provides much neededed housing for provides much neededed housing for people

Committee: Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• By strengthening regional supply chains, providing farmers with stable markets, and improving student
• This bill will give many more school districts a chance to help farms like Frog Hollow provide healthy
• So I'm really excited to hear about the work that's been done to provide...
• I'm excited to hear about the work that's been done to provide fresh fruits in particular, but fresh
• And that means storing them for a long time, means you're not providing fresh.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Agriculture heard five bills and took up four consent items. AB 312 would shorten from six months to three months the time agricultural commissioners must hold proceeds from the sale of seized agricultural commodities before unclaimed funds go to the county general fund. The author said it is a narrow administrative change that preserves existing ownership and recovery protections; there was no opposition, and the bill advanced on a 5-0 vote. AB 1731 would create the California Healthy Food Procurement Fund Program to connect schools with California farmers and food businesses through an approved vendor system and procurement support, with a priority for climate-smart agricultural practices. Supporters included school nutrition, farm, environmental, and consumer groups, as well as a rural school district and a farm that described the bill as helping local markets and student access to fresh food. Senators raised questions about climate-smart eligibility and school budgets, but the bill was supported and passed 5-0 to Appropriations. AB 2380 would raise the maximum county fee used to support county agricultural commissioner operations, with a three-year phase-in. The author and the county commissioners’ association said the increase is needed because fees have not been updated in decades and the work is essential for pest control, pesticide enforcement, and public safety. The bill passed 4-0. The committee also heard AB 1603, as amended, which would require DPR to list PFOS pesticides in the pesticide use reporting database and share the information with county agricultural commissioners; the author and supporters described it as a transparency measure, while agricultural and industry groups said they would remove opposition once amendments were in print. It passed 4-1. The four consent items—AB 1711, AB 2326, AB 2685, and AB 2778—were also approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we may have some folks today that provide testimony and/or public comment virtually as well.
• We have Rob Bullock registered to provide public comment on all bills.
• Do you have a preference to also provide comment on this bill?
• The legislation provides mechanisms for individuals, organizations, and the Attorney General to seek
• Would you like to provide comment? And then we'll go to virtual after that. You're almost on it.

Bills: HB344

Committee: Senate Elections & Government Affairs

Keywords: campaign finance, elections, transparency, political committees, reporting requirements, enforcement

Summary: The Senate Elections and Government Affairs Committee heard several election- and campaign-related bills. House Substitute 2 for House Bill 155 would make Public Integrity Commission reports publicly available on the commission’s website, add a specific travel-expense reporting category, and remove the FOIA requirement for accessing reports; Senator Richardson said he supported the transparency measure and asked to be added as a co-sponsor. The committee also took up House Bill 444, the Delaware John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would create state protections against voter suppression and vote dilution, expand language access, prohibit intimidation and deception, and allow court remedies for violations. The bill drew strong support from advocacy groups including YWCA Delaware, the League of Women Voters, the ACLU, and the Legal Defense Fund, and several senators voiced support and interest in moving it quickly. House Bill 430, a constitutional amendment proposal, would make explicit that only natural persons may vote in Delaware elections, including municipal elections, in response to concerns about corporate or other artificial-entity voting in some towns. The discussion focused heavily on Fenwick Island, where the mayor testified that the town’s charter has long allowed certain artificial entities to vote in local elections and said the system is limited and has worked for years; other speakers argued the bill was needed to prevent corporate dilution of residents’ votes. Senator Richardson expressed concern about restricting entities with a local stake, while Senator Hoffner and others emphasized the principle of one person, one vote. Senator Townsend presented House Bill 344, which would tighten campaign finance rules by requiring Delaware bank accounts for candidates and committees, recurring training, better documentation of candidate loans, longer record retention, automatic filing extensions, and inactive status for noncompliant committees; one public commenter opposed the bill on cost grounds. He also presented House Bill 448, which would allow campaign funds to be used for reasonable security expenses for candidates and elected officials, with guardrails, and a commenter suggested allowing electronic security systems without a cap. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 472, a local de-annexation measure for Noble’s Pond in Cheswold to remove scattered residential lots from town boundaries and resolve uneven tax treatment; Senator Hoffner noted local law enforcement supported the change. The committee adjourned after hearing no further public comment on HB 472, and the vote to adjourn was unanimous.

Transcript Highlights:

• Every district has nonprofits, and we know how effective they are in providing community District has
• does not provide centralized guidance to organizations on grant administration issues, which creates
• Specifically, we recommend that this office provide interagency coordination.
• Specifically, we recommended this office provide interagency coordination and serve as a resource for
• And if we can provide them that additional system assistance, I think they'll be bringing in a larger

Committee: House Governmental Organization

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Does this budget provide any certainty? Through you, Mr.
• Is there anything in this tenth budget extender that provides them some certainty, some information on
• DOES THIS BUDGET PROVIDE ANY CERTAINTY? &gt;&gt; THROUGH YOU, MR.
• IS THERE ANYTHING IN THIS TENTH BUDGET EXTENDER THAT PROVIDES THEM SOME CERTAINTY, SOME INFORMATION ON
• Will our local governments, or schools or healthcare providers, will they and will this body, will we

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate met on May 6, 2026, approved the prior journal, and accepted a Rules Committee report advancing the government appropriations bill to third reading. The chamber then took up the tenth budget extender, which sponsor Senator Serrano said would keep state government operating through Monday, May 11 and contained $482 million in new spending, bringing the total across extenders to $20.3 billion. In questioning, Senator O’Mara and Senator Helming pressed Serrano for details on the reported $268 billion budget deal, policy outcomes, revenue raisers, and whether local governments, schools, and rural health programs would receive certainty; Serrano said final budget bills were not yet in print and declined to speculate on unresolved issues. The extender passed 60-1, with Senator Weik voting no. The Senate also adopted several previously adopted resolutions honoring the North Tonawanda High School girls varsity basketball team, the Tappan Zee High School girls basketball team, and SUNY student Chriss-Ann Pryce. Members praised the teams’ state championships and Pryce’s academic and leadership achievements through the Educational Opportunity Program. The chamber then returned to legislation and passed a bill designating May 9 as Overdose Awareness Day in New York; Senator Fernandez said it recognized the harm of overdose and the need to continue funding harm reduction and recovery services. Additional bills passed included a statewide domestic violence lethality assessment measure, with Senators Murray, Rolison, Webb, and Ramos describing it as a tool to identify dangerous situations and prevent fatalities; a mental health insurance bill limiting step therapy/prior authorization for serious mental health medications, supported by Senator Fahy; and measures on education, real property tax, election law, general business law, kitchen incubator economic impacts, public buildings, state finance, and mental hygiene. Several bills drew recorded opposition, including the real property tax bill and the election law and general business law measures. The Senate concluded by adjourning until Monday, May 11 at 3:00 p.m., with intervening days designated legislative.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am asking the Law Institute... ...to provide us with the clarity we need to differentiate between a
• SB 68 provides relative to the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
• Are we providing fair process to our citizens? And what purposes do we allow expropriation for?
• It provides relative to the modification of child custody. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• Provides for testimony of medical experts in child custody and child need of care cases.

Bills: HR38 , HR96 , HR160 , HCR31 , HCR61 , HB578 , HB668 , HB1198 , SCR19 , SB66 , SB68 , SB76 , SB139 , SB336 , SB475

Committee: House Civil Law and Procedure

Keywords: privacy rights, surveillance, USA Patriot Act, FISA, Fourth Amendment, civil liberties, government oversight, civil bench warrants, judgment debtors, notification process, judgment debtor examination, Louisiana State Law Institute, property transfer, public records doctrine, bad faith, real estate law, HCR 31, House Concurrent Resolution 31, foreign entities, foreign corporation

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony today.
• provide some context here.
• The NRA rejects the... ...Code section can also provide some context here.
• With this bill, we would be providing minimum security for maximum costs.
• With this bill, we would be providing minimum security for maximum costs.

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And although if it's provided by a lobbyist, it's prohibited, because it's a very narrow area.
• And so I want to do afford an opportunity to provide that information to you now, Eric Jennings said
• he wanted to afford an opportunity to provide that information now or later.
• So I'm glad to provide that information and answer any questions about it.
• House Bill 3204 provides PRCs the best opportunity to stabilize our foundation through a... ...provides

Committee: House Emerging Issues and Professional Registration

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 3423 from Rep. Darren Chappell, which would require judges in Missouri courts of record to file annual financial disclosure statements, bar judges from hearing cases involving people who have given them money, and extend similar disclosure rules to members of judicial nominating commissions. Chappell framed the bill as a transparency and ethics measure. Business groups supported the proposal, but judges, bar groups, and trial and defense lawyers opposed it, arguing existing judicial ethics rules already address gifts and recusals, that the bill is overly broad in covering “anything of value,” and that it could create unintended consequences, including strategic donations to force recusal and reduced public access to judicial financial disclosures. The Supreme Court’s representative said the bill should be read alongside the full Code of Judicial Conduct and offered to provide the committee with that material. No vote was taken. The committee then heard House Bill 2922 from Rep. Jeff Myers, which would align Missouri’s right-to-try law with federal law by extending access from terminal illness to debilitating conditions and by addressing the use of Schedule I drugs in that framework. Myers said the bill is intended to help ensure access to emerging treatments and has passed in various forms in prior sessions. There was no opposition testimony, and the hearing concluded without action. Next, the committee heard House Bill 2643, also from Rep. Senate, the “Hope for Missouri Patients Act,” which would expand right-to-try access for individualized treatments such as gene therapies, enzyme replacement therapies, and substrate reduction therapies for patients with rare or debilitating diseases. Supporters, including the Goldwater Institute, a parent of a child with a rare disease, and Americans for Prosperity, said the bill could help patients access customized treatments sooner and reduce red tape. The sponsor and witnesses emphasized that the bill would not require insurance coverage and is meant to help patients who cannot wait for lengthy clinical trial or FDA pathways. No opposition testimony was offered. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 3204 from Rep. Senate, which would create a tax credit to encourage private donations to prevention resource centers that work on substance misuse prevention. Supporters from prevention organizations and advocacy groups said the credit would strengthen local prevention coalitions, reduce future treatment and criminal justice costs, and stabilize funding for services such as school education, early intervention, and suicide prevention. One opponent warned that Planned Parenthood could qualify as a prevention resource center and receive tax credits, but supporters said they had no concern about that. The hearing ended with no vote or other committee action, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Public school personnel are prohibited from providing instruction to any student regarding the nature
• of any reflection time, other than as provided by this law.
• So parents guide the meaning and the school simply provides the space.
• And so, providing a mechanism whereby we, the taxpayers, lawmakers, department, state board, have very
• And it is, however, any circumstance for providing direct instruction.

Committee: House Education

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from February 16 and 17 without objection. It then heard House Bill 623, which would require a 60-second moment of silence at the beginning of each public school day. The sponsor and several supporters, including a rabbi, a pastor, a church representative, and a former teacher, argued that the bill is neutral, low-cost, and intended to promote calm, reflection, and better student behavior while protecting religious freedom and parental authority. Some members raised concerns about mandating the practice, local control, whether it could be seen as encouraging prayer, and how it would apply to late arrivals or charter schools. The sponsor said it would apply to public and charter schools but not private schools, and that students could silently read or pray if they wished. The committee passed HB 623 on a 10-4 roll call vote and sent it to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up House Bill 728, a school funding and staffing definitions bill sponsored by Representative Church. She said the bill would clarify statutory definitions for instructional, administrative, classified, and per-pupil staff, and would move positions that are not directly instructing students into the administrative category, based on LSO review and Department of Education guidance. Supporters said the bill would improve transparency and accountability in how state education dollars are categorized and spent. Questions focused on how the new definitions would affect principals, superintendents, teacher-leaders, mentors, instructional coaches, and rural districts that split duties between teaching and administration. The Idaho Association of School Administrators testified in opposition, warning that the bill would reduce flexibility and could make instructional coaching unsustainable, especially in smaller districts with limited administrative allocations. Members debated whether to hold HB 728 for further clarification or move it forward. A substitute motion to hold the bill until February 27 failed on a 6-8 roll call. The committee then voted on the original motion to send HB 728 to the floor with a due pass recommendation, and that motion passed unanimously on the recorded vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• My concern was whether you were able to provide any more information as it related to those businesses
• So I'm going to provide a scenario, and I just heard what was explained as far as the question.
• And I provide this scenario because this happened to me as far as being in local government.
• And I provide this scenario because this happened to me as far as being in local government.
• It only is only provided by when you're on a state highway and not a town itself.

Bills: SB1519 , SB1775 , SB1900 , SB1948 , SB2080

Committee: Senate Local and County Government

Keywords: municipal zoning, home-based businesses, no-impact businesses, local government, regulation, short-term rentals, municipal ordinance, municipal court, court of record, court not of record, city penalties, fine limits, penalty cap, ordinance enforcement, state statute, traffic offenses, speeding, parking, DUI, DWI

Summary: The Senate Local and County Government Committee considered several bills dealing with municipal regulation, penalties, incentives, fireworks, and tax increment financing. Senate Bill 1519 would allow low-impact home-based businesses to operate without additional municipal permitting or zoning restrictions, while still requiring compliance with state and federal laws and applicable professional boards. Members questioned how the bill would define “no-impact” businesses, how it would affect short-term rentals and home-based services like nail salons or dispensaries, and whether it reduced local oversight. The bill passed 7-2. Senate Bill 1775 clarified that municipalities may impose penalties for traffic-, alcohol-, and drug-related offenses that are less than or equal to the state statutory penalty, and set caps for other municipal fines. After extended questioning over whether the bill lowered or matched state penalties, a legislative analyst was brought in to explain that the measure was intended to resolve confusion about municipal authority. The bill passed 10-0. Senate Bill 1900 would direct 5% of the value of state economic development incentives to cities or counties for infrastructure, with members raising concerns about how the funds would be split, whether counties or cities would control them, and how the bill would apply in unincorporated areas. The author said he was open to revising the language, and the bill passed 11-0. Senate Bill 1948 would expand the time frame for licensed fireworks sellers to sell consumer fireworks year-round and would also bar counties from prohibiting private outdoor consumer fireworks displays, subject to burn bans and other safety limits. Questions focused on safety, county zoning, and whether the bill relied on an outdated building code reference. The bill passed 8-2. Senate Bill 2080, a request bill from county assessors, would require assessors to be included as an information resource in TIF/TID processes, align district boundaries with parcel lines, and allow administrative fees to cover assessor costs. Members debated the justification and size of the fee and whether it would burden local governments, but the bill passed 8-2.

Transcript Highlights:

• And second, the amendment provides that victims and survivors in felony cases have the right to be provided
• EMP and provides that an incarcerated individual may seek review of the decision from the Office of
• EMP and provides that an incarcerated individual may seek review of the decision from the Office of
• Not only is it to provide equity in early release time for all incarcerated persons, but also to reduce
• The bill provides that on the third time, it is a sex offense and a felony.

Summary: The House Community Safety Committee met in executive session on February 2, 2026, to consider several bills. Staff summarized bills on reentry and earned release time (HB 1239), assault with sexual motivation (HB 2310), extraordinary medical placement (HB 2490), Office of Independent Investigations reporting rules (HB 2508), stalking supervision (HB 2510), nitrous oxide restrictions (HB 2532), and inmate funds/indigency thresholds (HB 2539). HB 2220 was bumped to the next day, and the committee later deferred action on HB 2490. On HB 1239, the committee considered multiple amendments. Amendments to require additional community custody supervision, reduce the earned release increase for serious violent and Class A sex offenses to 20%, and bar earned release from being used if parole is later established were all rejected. Amendments excluding sexual motivation enhancements from earned release calculations and adding a second DOC pilot program for incarcerated survivors at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton were adopted. The committee then reported out the amended substitute bill on a 5-4 vote, with members debating public safety, victim impacts, sentencing fairness, and DOC workload. HB 2310, which elevates fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation to a Class C felony for offenders with specified criminal history, was reported out unanimously. HB 2508 was amended to narrow immediate reporting requirements for non-deadly force incidents and in-custody deaths, then passed unanimously. HB 2510, requiring DOC supervision for people convicted of stalking in community custody, also passed unanimously. HB 2532 passed unanimously after an amendment adding a veterinary-care exception to the nitrous oxide offense. HB 2539, which raises the inmate indigency threshold to $100 and, in the substitute, removes the telephone-services deduction exemption, passed on a 6-3 vote. The committee adjourned after stating it would return the next day to act on the remaining bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• This amendment, 948932, is technical and was provided by staff. Other questions on the amendment?
• So that's really why it's important for me to provide youth with these leadership opportunities, to see
• This organization taught me that agriculture affects every aspect of my urban life, and it provided the
• First is classroom or laboratory instruction, which provides students with contextual learning.
• And as our vision states, FFA provides the next generation of leaders who will change the world.

Summary: The Agriculture Committee took up SB 806, the consumer and agricultural equipment right-to-repair bill by Senator Trumbull. Trumbull said the measure would expand repair options for portable wireless devices and farm equipment while protecting trade secrets. The committee adopted two amendments: one clarifying the bill does not apply to motor vehicles, and a technical staff amendment. Testimony was mixed: an Everglades Equipment representative opposed the bill, warning it could weaken local dealer support, reduce parts inventory, and increase downtime for farmers; the Consumer Technology Association also opposed the bill in its current form, citing concerns about a patchwork of state repair laws, private lawsuits, and inconsistent standards. The bill was reported favorably as CS for SB 806 by a roll call vote of 4-0, with Senator Rouson not voting. The committee then heard a presentation from Florida 4-H state officers Timmy Hawes, Summer Wayne, and Taylor Thigpin. They described 4-H as a youth development organization focused on citizenship and leadership, agriculture, STEM, and healthy living, serving more than 216,000 youth statewide. They highlighted personal stories about how 4-H built confidence, leadership, and entrepreneurship skills, and they outlined goals to grow participation to 300,000 youth and to invest in 4-H camps, especially Camp Cherry Lake and Camp Timpoochee, as year-round learning sites. Senators praised the program and asked questions about how youth get involved and what drives participation. Florida FFA state officers Hope Storder and Isabel Jenkins then presented on agricultural education and FFA. They explained FFA’s three-part model of classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experience, and leadership development, and noted that Florida now has more than 65,000 FFA members and that state funding has allowed all agricultural education students to participate at no cost. They emphasized agriculture’s role in feeding a growing population and discussed how technology, innovation, and urban agriculture can help meet future production needs. Senators commended the organization’s work and its role in preparing future leaders and agricultural professionals. At the end of the meeting, Senator Burton requested a group photo with the students, and the committee agreed.

Transcript Highlights:

• They can provide not only cultural and arts, but science.
• They can provide not only cultural and arts, but science, like our estuarium downtown.
• These investments have stabilized and strengthened cultural nonprofits and provide clear regional benefits
• In 2021, when House Bill 1168 passed, it did create that intent to provide $125 million per biennium,
• That program provides funds to federally recognized Indian tribes for certain types of projects.

Summary: House Finance met on Friday, January 23rd, and heard three bills. On House Bill 2194, staff explained that the bill would allow a county and a city within that county to both impose the cultural access sales and use tax at the same time, with the county providing a credit for the city tax. Representative Parsley said the change would let more jurisdictions support cultural, arts, science, and school-related programs. Olympia and Thurston County officials testified in support, describing grant funding for cultural organizations, free programming, and school access benefits; a committee member raised a question about how the change could affect county bond obligations. The committee then heard House Bill 2089, which would narrow a B&O tax preference for first mortgage interest by removing the requirement that a financial institution be located in 10 or more states, and direct the resulting revenue to the wildfire response, forest restoration, and community resilience account. Staff said the bill would raise significant revenue and have implementation costs for the Department of Revenue. Representative Scott said the bill was intended to restore wildfire funding and limit the preference to community banks, while opponents from the Washington Bankers Association and Community Bankers of Washington warned the bill could harm community banks and mortgage lending if not drafted carefully. The Department of Natural Resources and a public employee representative supported restoring wildfire preparedness funding. Finally, the committee heard a proposed third substitute for House Bill 1960, which would replace property taxation for new or repowered large renewable energy facilities and battery storage systems with a state and local excise tax structure, while also creating a local investment distribution account and a tribal capacity grant program. Staff and the sponsor described the bill as a way to reduce property tax shifts onto nearby taxpayers and provide more stable, predictable revenue for local governments and tribes. County officials, assessors, treasurers, and some clean energy and conservation groups supported the concept but asked for clearer definitions, payment timing, and rate adjustments; utilities and renewable developers said they supported the goal but opposed the bill as drafted because of concerns about the rates and the treatment of centrally assessed utilities. No votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after closing the hearings on all three bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• This provides a replacement for old and aging vehicles within the department's fleet.
• This provides for new and replacement vehicles to best serve our licensees.
• This provides a replacement for old and aging vehicles within the department's fleet.
• DMS is the primary workforce, business, and technology service provider for Florida government.
• Telematics will provide real-time location, tracking, utilization, and cost data.

Summary: The committee convened with a quorum, welcomed new member Senator Ralph Massullo, and first took up confirmation of five appointees to water management district and basin board positions. Senator McLean moved favorable confirmation of Ted Everett, Jerome Pate, Michael Romano, Paul Bissfam, John Hall, and Virginia Johns, and the motion passed by roll call. The main agenda item was the Governor’s Florida First budget presentation for the environmental agencies. Kim Kramer and DEP Secretary Alexis Lambert outlined proposed environmental funding of about $5.8 billion, including more than $1.4 billion for water resources, $810 million for Everglades restoration, $408 million for water quality, $202 million for Resilient Florida, $75 million for beach renourishment, $150 million for Florida Forever, $70 million for state park infrastructure, and $221 million for hazardous waste cleanup. They also highlighted proposed funding for FWC operations, manatee care, python removal, oyster reef restoration, forestry and wildfire equipment, and citrus research and disease response. Members asked about Florida Forever funding, state park wastewater and septic needs, a cut to the Florida Wildlife Research Institute, and how beach renourishment is handled after storms. The committee then heard the general government budget presentation. Agencies highlighted included DBPR, Gaming Control, the Lottery, DMS, PERC, DFS, OIR, and Revenue. DBPR discussed funding for license processing, an animal abuse hotline, vehicle replacement, and IT recruitment; Gaming Control requested new law enforcement squads and a licensing/enforcement IT system; the Lottery emphasized marketing, retail engagement, IT, and retention funding; DMS proposed building, fleet, telecommunications, cybersecurity, and local government grant investments; PERC described workload growth after SB 256 and requested staffing, operations, and pay increases; OIR sought more staff for consumer protection and market oversight plus building renovations; DFS highlighted My Safe Florida Home funding, fire marshal and first responder support, financial investigations, and gold and silver legal tender implementation; and Revenue requested operational, IT, and fiscally constrained county funding. Members questioned DBPR about unfunded HOA fraud and condo transparency items, DMS about cybersecurity grants, and DFS about My Safe Florida Home funding levels, abandoned grants, and reduced program uptake. No further action was taken, and the committee adjourned without additional votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• JANUARY 25 THE REPORT WAS RELEASED AND WE PROVIDED THE INITIAL RESPONSE.
• WE CAN PROVIDE YOU A BREAKDOWN OF THE AGENCIES AND WHAT THE ASSETS ARE. >> Chair: THANK YOU.
• >> WE CAN PROVIDE YOU THE DATA. >> THANK YOU. >> RANKING MEMBER HARRIS YOU HAVE A QUESTION?'
• >> THEY ARE IN THE SYSTEM THEY ARE NOT MISSING ANY LONGER. >> WE CAN PROVIDE FLEET WAVE DATA FOR YOU.
• >> Chair: YOU ARE RECOGNIZED. >> WE CERTAINLY CAN PROVIDE A PLAN AND WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT OPERATIONAL