Transcript Highlights:

• rate must go through the compensating rate must go through the fiscal<01:00:12.319><c> court.
• For most libraries, they are taking the compensating rate or less.
• I can tell you in many counties the compensating rate actually is lower than the rate before.
• For most libraries, they are taking the compensating rate or less.
• I can tell you in many counties the compensating rate actually is lower than the rate before.

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on State Government met for its first meeting and heard a presentation from the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KY Stats) by Executive Director Matt Barry and Legislative Director Calli Arnold. The presentation reviewed KY Stats’ statutory background, its evolution from KESUS, its board membership, and its role in housing Kentucky’s longitudinal data system and labor market information office. Barry explained that KY Stats links data from multiple state sources, validates and cleans it, deidentifies it, and uses it to produce reports, evaluations, and responses to data requests for policymakers, practitioners, and the public. Barry described the scale of the system, noting more than 6,000 active data elements, 178 unique file types, and data from 48 sources across 26 agencies. He highlighted the agency’s privacy and security practices, including separate servers for source data and deidentified reporting data, and said KY Stats does not use real-time data. He also outlined the types of reports produced, including the annual high school feedback report and a recent life outcomes report tracking the 2017 public high school cohort’s postsecondary education, completion, wages, and employment outcomes. Members asked about the timeliness and availability of data, especially SNAP and Medicaid information, and Barry said most data arrive annually or quarterly and that Medicaid data had been used in a limited one-time project rather than as an ongoing feed. Questions also focused on artificial intelligence; Barry said KY Stats has not integrated AI but is exploring it cautiously because of privacy and security concerns. Several members encouraged further work with AI tools, while Barry emphasized that any use would need to protect confidentiality. The committee also discussed staffing and funding, with Barry saying KY Stats has about 49 total staff and annual funding of roughly $3.1 million in state general funds, plus federal labor-related funding. Committee members praised the agency’s work and suggested legislators may not fully understand its capabilities. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, it depends on the counties where we have a death investigation.
• I mean, it depends on the counties where we have a death investigation.
• unemployment compensation trust The unemployment compensation trust fund.<01:46:56.560><c> Yeah,</c>
• </c> unemployment compensation trust fund. unemployment compensation trust fund.
• Thank you, director. unemployment compensation is third best unemployment compensation is third best

Summary: The Joint Committee on Dedicated Funds met to review the House budget provision that would impose a 5% administrative charge on a broad list of dedicated funds, with some exemptions. Members discussed the House approach versus the Senate’s more general approach of leaving the governor discretion over which funds could be charged. The chair explained the committee was hearing from agencies about any legal, contractual, or practical reasons their funds should be exempt, and the agenda was expanded to include several departments and written submissions from others. The Department of Education testified first, identifying several funds it said should be exempt: a printing revolving fund that is funded by transfers rather than fees; teacher certification, which is self-funded by educator licensing fees and would require an immediate fee increase if charged; a vending stand set-aside tied to the federal Randolph-Sheppard program and subject to federal approval and vendor committee procedures; and a public school infrastructure/safety account, where most revenue is transferred from the education trust fund or general fund rather than generated by fees. Members questioned the department about the effect on school safety projects and whether the fee would simply reduce the number of projects completed each year. The Veterans Home asked for exemptions for three funds: a donation benefit account used for recreational activities and quality-of-life expenses for residents, a small memorial trust fund whose interest supports veteran activities, and a resident member account that holds veterans’ personal income such as Social Security and pensions. The department argued the charge would reduce donations, cut services, and effectively function like an income tax on vulnerable veterans. The Banking Department also requested exemption for its consumer credit administration license fund, saying it is used to keep exam fees low and is expressly intended by statute to reduce costs on regulated businesses; it said the 5% charge would undermine that framework and could eventually force higher fees. The Department of Justice began testimony on its dedicated funds, starting with the medical legal investigative fund, which pays for death investigations and related services under statute and without general fund support. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the committee mainly heard testimony and asked questions about the practical and legal effects of applying the administrative charge.

Transcript Highlights:

• Employees back to work and restore balance to our workers' compensation system.
• But that person who's depending on that money has lost money.
• I have spent my entire career working in the workers' compensation system for the first 16.
• I spent my entire career working in the workers' compensation system.
• So I'm just seeking to repeal the Workers' Compensation Advisory Council.

Summary: The Labor and Industrial Relations Committee first took up House Bill 680 by Rep. Weibel, which proposes a major overhaul of Louisiana’s workforce development system. The bill and a large amendment package were described as modernizing workforce planning, consolidating some state-level strategy and administration, and strengthening coordination with local workforce partners, employers, and regional stakeholders. A transition advisory team with an 18-month sunset was added to help implement the changes, and members repeatedly raised concerns about preserving local input for different regions, parishes, and cities. Rep. Weibel, the secretary of Louisiana Works, parish officials, and other supporters said the goal is to shift more resources from overhead to training and direct services while keeping local boards and parish involvement in place. Testimony from a Utah official and from local government and business representatives emphasized that similar consolidations can create efficiencies without eliminating local responsiveness. The committee adopted the amendments and then reported HB 680 with amendments. The committee then heard House Bill 780 by Rep. Furman on workers’ compensation. The bill seeks to streamline disputes over compensation and medical benefits, reduce litigation, and lower costs by restoring an expedited preliminary determination process and changing the standard for penalties and attorney fees to an arbitrary-and-capricious standard. Supporters, including lobbyists and defense attorneys, argued that the current process is outdated, overly technical, and too litigious, especially because adjusters now often work remotely and the statute still relies on fax and certified-mail procedures. They said the bill would speed up decisions, reduce unnecessary attorney-fee claims, and help employers and injured workers alike. Opponents, including attorneys for injured workers, argued the bill would make it harder for workers to recover penalties when benefits are delayed, shift the burden in favor of insurers, and fail to address understaffing and defense costs. Members debated whether the bill’s new standard should replace the current “reasonably controverted” language; an amendment to restore that language was offered but opposed by the author and other members and was not adopted. The committee adopted technical amendments and other committee amendments, heard additional testimony, and continued debating the bill’s substantive changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Pereira is saying, we do want to take a look at compensation as a whole when you look at both wage as
• Pereira is saying, we do want to take a look at compensation as a whole when you look at both wage as
• Pereira is saying, we do want to take a look at compensation as a whole when you look at both wage as
• </c><00:53:27.960><c> at</c> leave or pay time off is compensated at leave or pay time off is compensated
• </c><00:53:40.359><c> at</c> other paid time off is compensated at other paid time off is compensated

Committee: House Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• They are on the day-old donut compensation plan.
• And once again, I will say it depends. It's very variable.
• Of course, though, it depends. What's the size of the facility? What's the scale?
• This has come out of, depending upon if... ...7.7 billion barrels of oil.
• This has come out of, depending upon if you're a lump or splitter, 17 different horizons.

Committee: Joint Energy Development and Transmission Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• They are on the day-old donut compensation plan.
• And once again, I will say it depends. It's very variable.
• Of course, though, it depends. What's the size of the facility? What's the scale?
• This has come out of, depending upon if ...7.7 billion barrels of oil.
• This has come out of, depending upon if you're a lump or splitter, 17 different horizons.

Committee: Joint Energy Development and Transmission Committee

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of the Mincota Power Cooperative headquarters before returning for presentations on large energy consumers, especially data centers. The first presentations focused on how North Dakota should respond to rapid growth in energy-intensive projects, with speakers emphasizing the need for reliable transmission, local decision-making tools, and factual information for county and township officials who are being asked to weigh major projects with limited staff and technical support. The North Dakota Transmission Authority director said local governments are being asked to make high-impact decisions on pipelines, transmission lines, large agriculture, wind, solar, carbon dioxide pipelines, direct-air capture, and data centers, and urged development of simple statewide decision tools and support from the League of Cities and Association of Counties. The Department of Environmental Quality’s air division director said North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the nation, but large data centers can create air-quality concerns because of diesel backup generation; he said the department is requiring air monitors at some facilities and expects grid power and, potentially, cleaner natural gas backup to reduce emissions. Members asked about emissions standards, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession at DEQ. The Department of Water Resources director said North Dakota’s water law is based on common ownership and prior appropriation, and that data centers generally use relatively small amounts of water, often in closed-loop systems. He said the Missouri River and groundwater supplies are ample for projected needs, that the department’s permitting process protects senior water rights, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use a very small share of Missouri River flow. Members asked about downstream impacts and compared data center water use with fracking. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd Erickson urged the committee to study how other states regulate data centers, warned against litigation-driven delays and overly broad local ordinances, argued reclamation bonding should be handled at the state level if at all, and said data centers can bring jobs and tax base but should remain subject to local zoning. The committee ended the morning session for lunch and later heard an EERC update from CEO Charles Gorecki on the center’s 75 years of work in energy and environmental technologies, especially oil and gas development and related research.

Transcript Highlights:

• They are on the day-old donut compensation plan.
• We have 10 sites total, and they're strategically located in some, depending on purpose.
• And once again, I will say it depends. It's very variable.
• Of course, though, it depends. What's the size of the facility? What's the scale?
• This has come out of, depending upon if you're a lump or splitter, 17 different horizons.

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of Minnkota Power Cooperative before hearing presentations on large energy consumers and related infrastructure issues. The first presentation, from the North Dakota Transmission Authority, focused on the need for better local decision-making tools for counties, townships, and planning and zoning boards facing major projects such as transmission lines, pipelines, data centers, wind, solar, and large-scale agriculture. The speaker urged more objective, data-driven analysis, noted that local officials often have limited time and resources, and said the state should support training and tools through groups like the League of Cities and the Association of Counties. Members asked about proactive outreach, data center ordinances, and how to avoid subsidizing large loads or causing reliability problems. The Division of Air Quality then discussed environmental oversight of data centers, emphasizing that North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the country and that the agency’s role is limited to air, water discharge, stormwater, and waste—not zoning or water use. The presentation explained that data centers generally have low direct emissions but may rely on diesel backup generators when the grid is unavailable, which creates air-quality concerns; the department said it is requiring air monitors at some projects to collect real-world data and guide future decisions. Members asked about generator emissions, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession, and the agency said permit applicants pay for the monitors while the state handles some QA work. The Department of Water Resources followed with an overview of North Dakota water law and data center water use. The director explained the state’s prior-appropriation system, the public-interest review for permits, and the large overall water supply available from groundwater and the Missouri River. He said most proposed data centers use closed-loop cooling systems and generally request relatively small amounts of water compared with other uses such as power plants, irrigation, and oilfield operations, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use only a tiny fraction of Missouri River flow. Questions focused on downstream impacts and comparisons to fracking water use, and the director said the state’s use is too small to materially affect downstream users. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd-Erickson testified online about data center zoning and permitting. He asked the committee to have Legislative Council gather information on how other states handle data center permitting and to keep the topic on the interim agenda. He argued that local zoning should remain local, but said counties lack the technical and legal resources to manage complex reclamation or bonding requirements and that state-level enabling legislation may be more appropriate. He also recommended eliminating tax incentives for data centers. The committee chair said staff would prepare a document on other states’ zoning and permitting approaches. After a lunch recess, the committee reconvened at the EERC, where CEO Charles Gorecki gave an overview of the center’s 75 years of work and its role in oil and gas, carbon management, and other energy technologies, highlighting enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide utilization as major opportunities for future production and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• To compensate, public service as government employees.
• To compensate for the economic loss of serving in the military and acknowledge the difficulty service
• Soldiers can opt in or opt out of that, depending on what they want to do.
• I'm referring to veterans and dependents. Let me couch that as one. Right?
• Other than veterans and their dependents, are non-veterans allowed to use VA services? No.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Military and Veteran Affairs held an informational hearing focused on the effects of federal budget cuts and policy changes on veterans, military readiness, and California’s veteran support systems. The chair and members emphasized that federal reductions to the VA, Medicaid/Medi-Cal, SNAP, and the federal workforce are disproportionately harming veterans by threatening health care, employment, housing, crisis lines, and suicide prevention services. The chair also highlighted California’s progress on veteran homelessness and the importance of preserving state programs that leverage federal dollars. Major General Matthew Beavers of the California Military Department described the department’s structure, its response to the Los Angeles fire emergency, and concerns that federal cuts could reduce readiness through less training, older equipment, and fewer resources. He also discussed state programs such as Work for Warriors, STARBASE, youth and community schools, and the counterdrug task force, saying they are valuable but vulnerable if funding is redirected away from readiness. Members asked about the impact of federal changes on the Guard and how the Legislature could help, and Beavers said the state should advocate for recapitalized equipment and continued support for key programs. A second panel focused on veterans’ benefits and claims support. CalVet, Los Angeles County, and Swords to Plowshares testified that county veteran service officers, legal aid, and community-based partnerships are essential to helping veterans access VA benefits, especially after the PACT Act expanded eligibility and increased claims volume. Witnesses said these services bring substantial federal dollars back to California, but county offices and legal providers are underfunded and overburdened. Members discussed data sharing, staffing shortages, and the need for more resources to reach veterans who are not connected to VA care. In the final panel on mental health and suicide prevention, CalVet and nonprofit providers described state-funded programs such as the Veterans Support Self-Reliance program and the California Veterans Health Initiative, which place services in permanent supportive housing and provide no-cost counseling statewide. Witnesses said these programs are showing measurable improvements in health, medication adherence, and emergency room use, but they depend on sustained funding and are vulnerable to step-down grants and federal instability. Committee members expressed support for the programs and raised questions about access, staffing, and the role of non-veteran family members in Vet Center services.

Transcript Highlights:

• fund, and this time we are adding $1 billion to the Medicaid trust fund, which of course will be dependent
• Now as you... ...delivery system side to support the increase in their compensation.
• is $349,690, which is at the 25th percentile of compensation for that group of physicians.
• And depending upon the kinds of position that might be open, they can range quite dramatically.
• So that group will benefit the most from this compensation.

Bills: SB4 , SB7 , SB9 , SB17

Committee: Senate Senate Health & Public Affairs

Keywords: Medicaid, healthcare, medical education, salaries, graduate education, clinician pay, health sciences, education funding, faculty salary, University of New Mexico, healthcare funding, general fund, state budget, New Mexico legislation, gun control, firearm safety, dealer regulation, illegal trade, background checks

Transcript Highlights:

• So depending on how you want to look at it, we could run that analysis for you. Mr.
• But it is pretty typical to have high reserves in an energy-dependent state. Okay. Thank you.
• Representative Baca, it certainly depends on how you all choose to approach that issue.
• This has informed our compensation recommendation as well.
• Compensation for teachers, as well as other public employees, would be at 4%.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• And then really sort of fine-tuning some of these things so that you don't have the bill so dependent
• Effective oversight depends on hearing from everyone who experiences the care process.
• Committee, let me start by acknowledging Senator Reyes' career in workers' compensation and enforcing
• compensation, we just think everyone needs to be on a level playing field.
• It's anywhere from 2 to 5 percent, depending on the percentage of employee ownership.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, beginning with SB 16, which would require county behavioral health directors to create clear pathways for clinicians to be authorized to initiate 5150 involuntary holds. The author and supporters argued the bill would reduce reliance on law enforcement and create more consistent crisis response standards statewide, while county behavioral health directors opposed it as an unfunded mandate that could increase law enforcement involvement and create implementation burdens. Members raised questions about county costs and funding, but the author emphasized the bill’s role in building a more clinical response system. SB 561 would require public guardians to acknowledge conservatorship referrals, make determinations within a reasonable time, and provide status updates on request. Supporters said the bill would reduce delays that leave vulnerable adults in limbo, while the opposition from public guardian representatives was removed after amendments. SB 381 drew extensive public testimony in support; it would allow California-born adoptees, and descendants of deceased adoptees, access to original birth certificates, with a nonbinding contact preference form for birth parents. Supporters framed the bill as a matter of dignity, identity, and health, and there was no formal opposition on the record. The committee also discussed SB 880, which would give tenants and prospective owner-occupants notice and a first opportunity to make an offer when institutional investors sell certain homes. Supporters said it would expand homeownership opportunities and preserve neighborhood stability, while opponents warned about conflicts with federal law, bundled-sale restrictions, and impacts on build-to-rent and affordable housing projects. Members and the author discussed possible amendments to address those concerns. SB 1238 would impose a duty of care and additional transparency requirements on HOA managers and boards; supporters said it would protect homeowners from mismanagement, while the main opposition argued the duty should remain contractual and could increase litigation. Finally, SB 423 would require disclosure of emergency-service records related to private detention facilities, and SB 28 would make changes to the CARE Court process, including a statewide ombudsperson and expanded oversight; both drew support and opposition, with concerns focused on transparency, privacy, implementation, and the balance between treatment and coercion. SB 574, discussed at the end, would require disclosure and human oversight for AI use in courts and legal practice and create a complaint process for ADR providers, with the State Bar noting requested amendments related to complaint handling and confidentiality.

Transcript Highlights:

• are not compensated for by insurance or otherwise.
• So would that then also be eligible to the the fire instances that It could be but it depends on the
• Therefore, this proposal provides a five-year extension subject to a trigger depending on the outcome
• Yeah, so it's subject to a trigger, depending on what happens federally.
• vendor compensation.

Transcript Highlights:

• The current threshold for lobbyist registration is $33,000 in compensation.
• Volunteer board members who did not receive compensation specifically for lobbying, for example, I'm
• on which mode the local depending on which mode the local government<00:14:10.000><c> body</c><00:14
• <00:40:39.640><c> on</c><00:40:39.960><c> what</c><00:40:40.119><c> you</c> depending on what you depending
• I think the issue that you raised is a highly compensated individual going to hit $33,000 sooner than

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• Health can compensate those sheriffs for the time that these inmates are in their jail.
• It really depends on the expertise, the supervision we need depending on the acuity of the client.
• :25:16.720><c> the</c> depends on the expertise, the depends on the expertise, the supervision<00:25:
• :25:18.240><c> the</c> supervision we need depending on the supervision we need depending on the acuity
• </c> months, 9 months, depending on the case. months, 9 months, depending on the case.

Bills: SF0010 , SF0005

Committee: House Labor, Health & Social Services

Transcript Highlights:

• And she said that the compensation that she received...
• However, they are compensated lower. Is that correct? Do you have the rates?
• No, they are compensated on a per-student rate. It is lower. But higher requirements.
• So, it just depends on what's happening in that particular community.
• So it just depends on what's happening in that particular community.

Committee: All EDUCATION- HOUSE EARLY CHILDHOOD SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The committee received an extensive update from the Office of Early Childhood on Arkansas child care and early learning funding streams, including CCDF/School Readiness Assistance (SRA), Arkansas Better Chance (ABC), Head Start/Early Head Start, EIDT, PDG B-5, and local school district funding. Staff explained how each stream is funded and administered, noted that federal SRA funding follows the family while ABC funds go to agencies, and reviewed current enrollment, provider counts, spending, and compliance data. They also reported that co-pays and tighter enrollment verification have stabilized SRA spending, that ABC allocations are now based more on demonstrated community need, and that a market rate survey and cost analysis are underway to inform future reimbursement decisions. Members asked about provider closures, wait lists, utilization rates, infant-toddler shortages, suspended licenses, workforce pay, and whether the state tracks outcomes for children who attend different early childhood settings. Staff said there are about 1,800 licensed providers, with recent net capacity gains but ongoing closures for reasons including financial strain, ownership changes, retirement, and relocation. The SRA wait list was reported at 2,364 families covering 3,428 children, with priority given to federally defined categories such as homelessness, foster care, special needs, teens, and TANF families. Officials also said they do not currently track average tuition, workforce turnover, or long-term child outcomes across all providers, though they do have some ABC readiness data and are exploring better data systems. The committee also heard from Forward Arkansas’s Center for Early Learning Solutions, which described a new statewide effort focused on early childhood systems improvement. The presentation highlighted a landscape analysis showing families’ difficulty finding infant-toddler care, providers’ administrative burden, and interest in shared services, better data systems, and quality supports. The center outlined projects on local lead networking, governance and finance analysis, tech-enabled child care management systems, and an open-source HQIM pilot. Members discussed the need for more funding, better coordination across agencies, and stronger data on child care access, affordability, and outcomes. No votes were taken beyond the initial motion to approve the minutes, and the meeting adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• To be clear, this does not offer workers' compensation or personal lines of insurance, such as automobile
• not offer they do not<00:11:52.000><c> offer</c><00:11:52.320><c> workers</c><00:11:52.720><c> compensation
• </c><00:11:53.200><c> or</c> not offer workers compensation or not offer workers compensation or personal
• </c><00:15:53.279><c> on</c><00:15:53.440><c> how</c><00:15:53.600><c> the</c> governing board depending
• on how the governing board depending on how the cell<00:15:53.920><c> is</c><00:15:54.160><c> organized

Transcript Highlights:

• A special appropriation to do our own compensation and classification study.
• So we intend to ask for an appropriation to conduct our own compensation and classification system.
• Because there's a little bit of a discrepancy depending upon where you look.
• As you know, certain tiers are dependent on progress in...
• You know, what would the State Auditor get, for example, from the 4% targeted pay compensation?

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Our retirees really depend on that.
• Our retirees really depend on that.
• Our retirees really depend on that.
• House Bill 1017 by Representative Kerner prohibits certain post-divorce earnable compensation in the
• Amendment 6 is dealing with the definition of earnable compensation.

Committee: House Retirement

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill reinforces that promise and strengthens the systems that they depend on.
• to use, Line item in the state budget, including how much the segments were to use for employee compensation
• Our future and our students depend on it.
• The CSU cannot commit to ongoing compensation increases without certainty regarding the state funding
• agreements to one-year terms or delay the finalization of contracts, as committing to ongoing compensation

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement heard several labor and retirement bills. AB 1582 by Assembly Member Ortega would make it an unfair labor practice for a higher education employer to disregard or delay arbitration decisions involving contracting out, with make-whole relief including attorney fees and costs. Supporters from AFSCME and other labor groups said UC has repeatedly ignored arbitration outcomes on outsourcing disputes, while UC opposed the bill as an overbroad change that could create systemwide operational and financial risk. The committee passed the bill on a do-pass basis to Appropriations. AB 1818 by Assembly Member Ortega would repeal an outdated HEERA provision that CSU has used to reopen bargaining when it claims state funding is insufficient. Teamsters and other labor supporters argued CSU has used the provision to avoid honoring negotiated raises, while CSU said the bill would limit its ability to manage compensation responsibly when state funding is uncertain. The committee also passed AB 1818 to Appropriations. AB 1564 by Assembly Member Arreguín would make communications between an employee and union representative confidential in public employment matters. Labor supporters said the measure would protect trust in the representational relationship and codify existing PERB case law, while school, local government, county, city, and business groups warned it could hinder workplace investigations, including those involving student safety and harassment. The bill passed 7-0 to Appropriations. AB 1844 by Assembly Member Pacheco, placed on the consent calendar, would update Judges’ Retirement System 2 to allow non-spouse beneficiaries for survivor benefits and to extend access to survivor options for vested judges; it was approved unanimously, 7-0. After all items were taken up, the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1216, a bill to be entitled an act relating to public school personnel compensation.
• Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast.
• Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast.
• But compensation is the remedy the law provides, and it is the remedy the state owes.
• It is not lost on me that my first bill is the Groveland Four compensation bill.

Summary: The Senate convened with an opening prayer, pledge, and several introductions recognizing visitors, students, local officials, and professional groups in the gallery. The chamber then took up a report from the Ethics and Elections Committee confirming 42 executive appointments; the report was adopted by a vote of 36-0. The Senate also adopted a resolution honoring the Ripple Project for childhood cancer awareness and funding. The bulk of the meeting was spent on special-order bills, many of them open-government sunset review measures and policy bills. The Senate passed bills preserving or updating public records exemptions for aquaculture records, trade secrets, and cybersecurity information; a child-abuse reporting statute of limitations bill; a commercial driving schools bill; a human trafficking training requirement for nursing graduates; a new injunction for protection against serious violence by a known person and its companion public-records bill; a nature-based coastal resiliency bill with an amendment restricting dredge-and-fill in Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve; a chiropractic patient-funds bill; specialty license plate legislation; a one-time waiver for late financial disclosure fines; public school personnel compensation changes; the Florida Farm Bill with amendments protecting Everglades lands and technical corrections; homestead exemption clarification for long-term leaseholders; disability presumption clarifications for firefighters and law enforcement; reinsurance intermediary manager conformity changes; patriotic displays in public schools; ADS-B aviation fee restrictions; autism-related law enforcement training and a blue envelope program; public post-secondary safety policy requirements; and a bill allowing licensed agents to market health care sharing ministries. Several bills were temporarily postponed, including local vessel restrictions, temporary certificates for practice, and domestic animals. Members debated a number of measures, especially the health care sharing ministries bill, where opponents raised consumer-protection and commission concerns and supporters argued for free speech, religious liberty, and expanded consumer choice; it passed 32-5. Other debated bills included the autism law enforcement bill, the school athletics bill addressing coach support for student-athletes, and the Farm Bill, where senators discussed surplus land safeguards and biosolids timing. Most bills passed overwhelmingly, often 37-0 or 38-0, with a few closer votes such as the patriotic displays bill (36-2) and the health care sharing ministries bill (32-5).