Transcript Highlights:

• You know, we have different classes: class one, two, three, four; residential, commercial properties,
• I don't believe that the mechanism of this bill is to create a new, formally create a new class of property
• Yes, it is not meant to create a new class for property tax purposes, but simply to redistribute in that
• one- to four-family home tax class, which would push the cost of that reduction to those that have homes

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The New York State Senate Committee on Housing, Construction, and Community Development met on May 18, 2026, with a quorum present and several members participating by vote sheet. Chair Brian Kavanagh opened the meeting by noting it was likely the committee’s last meeting of the session and thanked members and staff for their work. Senators also offered brief remarks of appreciation for the chair and the committee’s collaborative process. The committee advanced four bills. S.2523A (Ramos) would establish a jobs and housing pilot program to create construction jobs and address the housing crisis; it was reported to Finance, with Senator Walsack voting no and Senator Martins voting AWR. S.8612 (Kavanagh) would make clarifying changes to the good cause eviction law; the chair said it had been extensively negotiated with tenant and landlord stakeholders and had broad support, and it was reported with Senators Martins and Walsack voting AWR. S.8918A (Kavanagh) would create the Build Up New York pilot program and a mass timber for affordable housing program, along with related tax credits; it was reported to the floor unanimously. The committee also considered S.9287 (Hensh), which would create a real property tax exemption for certain full-time residents in certain counties. Members discussed whether the bill would create a new property class or instead shift tax burdens within the one- to four-family home class, and raised concerns about impacts on second homes and local school budgets. Supporters argued it resembled a homestead exemption and could help local residents. The bill was reported to Finance, with Senator Martins voting ADBR. The meeting then adjourned after the final agenda item.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm able to do my classes hybrid, so I am able to about time for work, kids, sports, school, and make
• <00:04:56.360> High training I'm able to do my classes High training I'm able to do my classes
• on school work however I attend class on school work however I attend class once<00:25:12.720>
• debt was too risky and attending classes debt was too risky and attending classes outside<01:40:
• <01:41:14.480> were and getting paid the classes were and getting paid the classes were scheduled

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And if you finish the class and we... ...you need to go to a class, and if you finish the class and we
• , you complete your class, you're done kind of a thing.
• You also have told judges that for most Class C felonies and Class A misdemeanors, the judge has to sentence
• And so Class C felonies and Class A misdemeanors, we wanted to give you some examples of what those are
• It includes things like Class C felony aggravated assault.

Summary: The committee opened with a moment of silence for a deceased member, then approved the April minutes and heard a presentation from HHS on the Diversion Task Force and related youth services grants. Chelsea Florey described the $750,000 one-time appropriation from HB 1012, the five awarded grants, and how programs in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot are using the funds for youth diversion, including school-based groups, physical activity, and services for problematic sexual behavior. Members raised concerns about staffing shortages, family engagement, service silos, and whether diversion eligibility rules are too rigid; Florey said the task force is focused on better coordination, broader education about available services, and possible changes to diversion criteria, with the Children’s Cabinet likely to drive broader recommendations. The committee then received a North Dakota Lottery biennium report from Director Thomas Lawler, who reviewed the lottery’s history, games, retailer commissions, player programs, and revenue distribution. He reported about $67 million in ticket sales for the 2023-2025 biennium, about $16.2 million transferred overall, including roughly $13.6 million to the general fund, plus transfers to drug task force and compulsive gambling funds. Members asked about the compulsive gambling allocation and whether it is set by statute. Next, the Department of Corrections presented on criminal justice data sharing and reentry. Adam Anderson explained that jails, courts, DOCR, HHS, and other entities use separate systems with limited interoperability, making real-time communication largely manual. He outlined possible hub or point-to-point IT solutions, but noted cost, vendor, identifier, and data-definition challenges. Robin Schmolenberger followed with an update on a Medicaid data exchange project between DOCR and HHS to suspend and reactivate inmate Medicaid coverage automatically and improve care coordination, with full bi-directional exchange expected in fall 2026. The committee also heard from county representatives on 24-7 sobriety program fees and an AG opinion allowing local sheriffs to use cheaper testing options when courts waive fees. Finally, the North Dakota Racing Commission reviewed a troubling audit. Bruce Johnson acknowledged serious findings involving overspending from the promotion fund, missing grant documentation, a reversed decision on breeders fund eligibility, and repeated procurement violations. He said the commission has begun corrective actions, including monthly tracking of the promotion fund cap, stricter grant documentation, written procurement procedures, and clearer eligibility rules in condition books. Members pressed him on how the overspending occurred, whether the commission board would impose consequences, and whether statutory clarification is needed on the promotion fund limit and related spending rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first question that might occur to everyone, of course, is why cities of the first class?
• <00:26:54.360> there's cities of the first class there's cities of the first class there's
• The fact that we know that there's great needs, particularly in our cities of the first class, and as
• The fact that we know that there's great needs, particularly in our cities of the first class, and as
• And we recently had a graduating recruit class that we brought in, so we are down.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Witness: Yes, uh, if the classes fill, um, and that's the beginning of the classes.
• This class, we started with 64.
• Witness: Yes, uh, if the classes fill, um, and that's the beginning of the classes.
• This class, we started with 64.
• Witness: Yes, uh, if the classes fill, um, and that's the beginning of the classes.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Administrative Services presented its capital budget process and priorities, explaining how agencies assess facility needs, rank projects, and submit requests to the governor’s office. DAS described its Plant and Property division, which maintains 96 state buildings, and Public Works, which develops detailed cost estimates for selected projects. Officials said the governor’s office has traditionally narrowed requests into priority tiers, but this year all projects were estimated, creating more work and less detail. They also emphasized that the capital budget book functions as legislative intent and can be binding on how approved funds are used. On the substance of the request, DAS highlighted several priorities: continued funding for the state ERP system upgrade to the cloud, with about $5 million requested for sustainability and related Treasury functions; emergency fund and annex renovation work; a sprinkler replacement at DMV; and elevator repairs at the main building. Karen Rocky also identified maintenance projects that rose in priority after a facility condition assessment, including HVAC work for Portsmouth Circuit Court and Coos County Courthouse, boilers and controls for Carroll County and Lebanon Circuit Court, brick repointing at the main building and annex, window replacement at Spalding, and Brown building elevator replacement. Officials noted that the governor’s proposed capital budget included fewer DAS projects than in past years and no projects for the Bureau of Court Facilities. The committee also discussed lapses and reprogramming of prior appropriations. DAS said the first eight projects approved in 2023 remain under construction and should be extended, while many 2021 projects are delayed because of ARPA-related workload and broader construction backlogs. Members reviewed a 2019 project list and agreed to lapse project number 49, the Spalding roof project, with about $81,000 remaining. DAS also said some small 2019 balances, including courthouse generators, a boiler, cooling and controls, roof and exterior repairs, and the State House Annex elevator, could be redirected through Capital Budget Overview toward the Hillsboro County South Cell Block project. The hearing ended with questions about project schedules, ARPA deadlines, and the division of authority between DoIT and DAS for the ERP system.

Transcript Highlights:

• If she could teach one class, she would want to teach accounting.
• I don't want to teach any of those classes. You know what?
• If I could teach one class, I would probably bring home economics back.
• I don't want to teach any of those classes. You know what?
• If I could teach one class, I would probably bring home economics back.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 21 with a quorum present for the first meeting of the 2025 biennium. The co-chairs described the temporary power-sharing arrangement in the tied Senate, introduced committee staff and pages, and had members briefly introduce themselves and share what subject they would teach. After the introductions, the committee moved to a presentation from State Demographer Susan Brower. Brower reviewed Minnesota’s school-age population trends and projections, noting that the state had just under 1 million children ages 5 to 17 in 2023 and that, for the first time, the older adult population exceeded the school-age population. She said the school-age population is concentrated in the Twin Cities metro and other regional centers, and projected an overall decline of about 5% over the next 15 to 20 years, driven mainly by declining birth rates and long-running net outmigration of young adults. She also explained that growth is expected in some areas, especially along the I-94 corridor north of the metro, while northern regions are projected to see the largest declines. She clarified for members that her figures measure resident children, not school enrollment, and that boundary changes are not reflected in the district-level data. The presentation also covered demographic change among students. Brower said about 35% of Minnesota children ages 5 to 17 are children of color, with growing multiracial populations and increasing linguistic diversity. She reported that about 20% of school-age children have at least one foreign-born parent, and about 18% of enrolled students speak a language other than English at home, with Spanish, Somali, and Hmong the largest home languages. She also discussed child poverty, saying Minnesota’s rate is just under 10%, below the national rate of about 15%, and that poverty is concentrated in Minneapolis-St. Paul, some first-ring suburbs, and parts of northern Minnesota, including districts with larger Native populations. Members asked questions about whether the projections accounted for migration and whether open enrollment affected the figures; Brower said the data reflect where children live, not where they attend school, and that the projections are based on recent migration and birth patterns, with future changes more likely to come from international immigration than from domestic migration.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, the bill does outline penalties for violating the act’s provisions, and it is a class one
• Lastly, the bill changes the classification from a class one misdemeanor to a classified felony for an
• Lastly, the bill changes the classification from a class one misdemeanor to a classified felony for an
• Whip, members, Senate Bill 1635 establishes the elements of unlawful alerting, classifies it as a class
• Madam Witt members, Senate Bill 1635 establishes the elements of unlawful alerting, classifies it a class

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The caucus reviewed a long list of Senate bills and memorials across several policy areas, with most items presented as consent or third-read measures and little debate. Topics included special license plates for the Arizona Space Commission, local land-use and housing restrictions, liquor regulation updates, limits on municipal delays in permitting and exactions, election equipment security and timekeeping requirements, precinct committeeman vacancy procedures, assisted living and deed-fraud measures, a Freedom of Speech Monument committee, renaming Wesley Bolin Plaza, and a ban on gender transition procedures for minors. Members also discussed health and human services bills on behavioral health technician standards, Medicaid billing during ownership changes, breast cancer screening cost-sharing, naturopathic IV administration authority, safe-haven newborn surrender at hospitals, and access claim-processing timelines. The Judiciary portion covered probation limits for dangerous crimes against children, a civil cause of action related to prohibited gender reassignment surgery on minors, elimination of the statute of limitations for failure to register as a sex offender, probation incentive calculations, victim-rights expense recovery, unlawful flight penalties, vulnerable adult theft definitions, motor fuel theft, unlawful alerting, and evidence rules in sexual-assault-related hearings. In discussion, members asked for clarifications on several bills, including the definitions of “malicious” delay, internet access on election equipment, the scope of the breast screening bill, and the meaning of unlawful alerting. Supporters repeatedly described bills as common-sense, fraud-prevention, patient-access, or public-safety measures, while one member noted a no vote on extending the Vulnerable Adult System Study Committee. Additional measures in land, agriculture, water, public safety, and transportation included foreign-entity restrictions on land transactions, limits on transporting Mexican gray wolf puppies, water reuse and groundwater fee extensions, a larger water supply revolving fund loan cap, congressional memorials on EPA authority and the San Carlos irrigation project, expanded traumatic event counseling coverage, reimbursement of legal costs for certain disciplined law enforcement officers, data sharing with the federal government on unauthorized aliens, roadable aircraft registration, motor vehicle booting rules, military-property sign placement, a towing and impound study committee, photo enforcement penalties, and highway renaming memorials. No roll-call votes were described in the transcript, and the meeting ended after the transportation items and memorials were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I want to clarify that it is not an indicator of class size.
• you had mentioned that the student-to-teacher ratio is 16.2 to 1, and that is not an indication of class
• Superintendent, we have a lot of discussion about class size and Things like that.
• That's how we can help reduce class sizes by creating more professional staff that are in Front of kids
• Their day taking concurrent classes. That school still receives $12,000, give or take.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• my first semester in college to be a veterinarian, and I lasted a week because of all the science classes
• my first semester in college to be a veterinarian, and I lasted a week because of all the science classes
• This, I couldn't show you prior, but this is a class taken by one of the dentists out where I live at
• As you go around all the vet schools in the country, almost all of them increased class size.
• I'm not going to be a neurosurgeon, so I sure didn't take those classes in school, right?

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The conference committee on House/Senate Bill 2129 met to resolve the House amendment to the Senate-passed bill, which concerns exemptions related to veterinary practice. The main dispute centered on the House language adding terms such as “specialized or holistic trade” and expanding exemptions to include acupuncture/acupressure and non-veterinary dentistry, while the Senate preferred a narrower, more definitive list of exempt activities. Senators and House members discussed whether the word “includes” made the exemption open-ended, and whether equine dentistry should be treated as veterinary medicine or allowed as a separate practice. Testimony from Dr. Sarah Lyons of the North Dakota Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and veterinarian Troy Dutton emphasized that dentistry, including equine dentistry, is generally considered the practice of veterinary medicine and can involve invasive procedures and animal safety risks. They argued the House amendment lacked educational or licensing requirements and could allow untrained individuals to perform procedures such as dentistry or acupuncture. House members raised concerns about rural access, shortages of veterinarians, and the practical reality that some horse owners and equine practitioners currently perform float work and similar services. After extended discussion, the committee did not reach agreement. Members noted that the House amendment language differed from the Senate version on the key exemption provisions, and that further review of proposed alternative language would be needed. A motion was made and approved by roll call that the committee was unable to agree at this time and would schedule another meeting. The meeting was then adjourned pending rescheduling.

Transcript Highlights:

• to the upper class in United States history, and we should stop giving tax cuts and benefits to the
• wealthiest people while the working class suffers.
• These are middle-class people with their own businesses, and they should be given a break too.
• This is a middle-class tax cut. This is not anything else.
• I need to stop having so many substitutes in my teacher's class,” because we're having... ...because

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, attendance, and routine journal and guest items, then moved into the Committee of the Whole to consider bills on the calendar. The main substantive item was SB 1106, a tax conformity bill tied to federal tax changes. Senators debated it extensively, with supporters arguing it would provide tax relief, certainty for taxpayers filing returns, and pro-growth benefits for workers and businesses, while opponents said it would reduce state revenue, favor wealthier taxpayers and corporations, and should be handled in broader budget negotiations. Several senators also objected to provisions they said were added late, including child care, senior deductions, and education-related tax credit language. The bill was ultimately passed in open session by a vote of 17 ayes, 12 nays, and 1 not voting, and was transmitted to the governor. After SB 1106, the chamber adopted the Committee of the Whole report and then heard a proclamation in support of law enforcement, read by Senator Bolick and signed by Senate leadership. The proclamation cited officer safety, assaults, fatalities, and mental health concerns, and called for continued support, equipment, training, and resources for law enforcement. Senators spoke in favor of honoring police and “backing the blue.” The Senate also handled routine floor business, including a message from the House, transmission of SB 1106 to the governor, and a long list of first-reading bill introductions and committee references covering topics such as public safety, health and human services, education, finance, elections, immigration, border issues, and appropriations. The meeting concluded with committee announcements and adjournment until Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our bill says if you took a class, you were told it was credit, and if you don't take it, they let you
• Then fine, if you're going to have your standard that's going to be different, then that class is free
• What if someone feels that they were discriminated against because they scheduled a class or a test on
• I would also like to add that in my undergrad, one of my favorite classes was called "Reacting to the
• The ban on sound amplification during class hours essentially eliminates the daytime window for outdoor

Bills: SB2972, SB1909, SB2815, SB735, SB2233, SB800, SB1069, SB2683, SB2986, SB2058, SB2310, SB2055, SB1032

Keywords: expressive activities, freedom of speech, public forum, higher education, protests, student rights, antisemitism, public institutions, disciplinary policy, student organizations, compliance, institutional policy, disciplinary sanctions, diploma designation, institution merger, academic records, student options, Holocaust education, Holocaust Remembrance Week, genocide education

Transcript Highlights:

• In December 2022, the Railroad Commission, at our section, applied for Class VI primacy to enable the
• The Class II underground injection control program applies to produced water disposal wells that have
• Due to commission... of documentation of the problems in Texas linked to the Class II injection wells
• We want to ensure the systemic problems leading to catastrophic failures in the Class II program are
• addressed before the Railroad Commission is granted oversight to Class VI CO2 injection.

Bills: HB1647, HB2612, HB3125, HB3158, HB3240, HB3506, HB3516, HB3707

Keywords: carbon sequestration, environmental policy, Texas, energy, climate change, regulatory council, geothermal energy, workforce development, education and training, energy industry, apprenticeship, energy production, energy policy, renewable energy, state council, administrative law, public information, transparency, government accountability, judicial process

Transcript Highlights:

• Is this making this a Class C felony if you violate 419 1029 or 419...
• Because we're fixing to make it a Class C felony. It should be a Class C felony...
• It should be a Class C felony.
• I'm just trying to figure out what we're making a Class C felony so...
• The Alabama... by the way, these listed in here as violations and the results for Class C fail in Class

Bills: SB156, SB134, SB108, SB47, SB88, SB89, SB106, SB18, SB9, HB38, HB54

Keywords: habitual felony offender, resentencing, Alabama Department of Corrections, victim notification, criminal justice reform, life sentences, parole eligibility, pardon, parole, law enforcement, GPS monitoring, data sharing, mail theft, stolen mail, criminal penalties, personally identifying information, felony, misdemeanor, SB47, Alabama

Transcript Highlights:

• Often there will be a situation where a class action lawsuit is driven not so much by huge claims to
• um and the you know intent of class um and the you know intent of class action<01:01:29.440>
• <01:01:47.280> action uh so the intent of class action uh so the intent of class action lawsuits
• Education is the way to the middle class and the upper middle class, and the, um, lenders are there and
• middle class and the upper middle class middle class and the upper middle class and<03:12:45.640

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened with a hearing on CACR 7, a proposed constitutional amendment to explicitly state that defendants are innocent until proven guilty in all cases and suits brought by the state. The prime sponsor argued the amendment would strengthen due process, prevent government overreach, and extend the presumption of innocence beyond criminal cases into civil and administrative matters such as forfeiture and family court proceedings. In testimony and questioning, the sponsor cited New Hampshire constitutional provisions, historical examples, and concerns about courts shifting burdens onto individuals. Committee members raised questions about the amendment’s wording, its relationship to existing law, and whether it would have practical effect if current statutes already place the burden on the state. The hearing was then closed without further witnesses. The committee next moved to executive session on House Bill 480, which establishes a procedure for restoring competency and creates a pilot forensic liaison position in Merrimack or Strafford County to assist with that process. After discussion about prior concerns, including an email from the Disabilities Rights Center and whether enough members were present, the committee voted to adopt Amendment 2025-61H and then voted ought to pass as amended. The amendment passed unanimously, and the bill passed on a 10-1 roll call, with Representative Andrew voting no. The chair noted the bill would not go on consent and that no minority report was planned. Finally, the committee opened a hearing on House Bill 666-FN, which would add restitution for violations of library-use confidentiality and expressly include library cards and membership status among confidential records. The sponsor said the bill was intended to strengthen privacy protections after a local dispute and to provide a remedy and deterrent for improper disclosure. Committee questions focused on whether the restitution penalty would apply to accidental disclosures, how the bill interacts with existing exceptions such as court orders or investigations, and whether the language was consistent with current confidentiality law. The hearing remained open at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are the fifth grade class.
• It also just happens to be that my son is a fifth grader with this class and he may or may not be There
• These are, this is the fifth grade class.
• It also just happens to be that my son is a fifth grader with this class and he may or may not be ...
• to be that my son is a fifth grader with his class, and he may or may not be introduced later by the

Bills: HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM21

Keywords: nurses, health care workers, healthcare workers, frontline workers, hospital staff, clinicians, allied health professionals, support staff, public health, workforce shortage, nursing shortage, safe staffing, patient safety, rural health care, frontier communities, behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorder, substance abuse, health care memorial

Transcript Highlights:

• this as any other way, any other matter than giving corporations a handout at the expense of working class
• I have a working-class community that I serve. And I was doing the math.
• In fact, I had to take a glass-blowing class to make a vacuum tube, but I did not have to take anything
• In fact, I had to take a glass-blowing class to make a vacuum tube, but I did not have to take anything
• In fact, I had to take a glass-blowing class to make a vacuum tube, but I did not have to take anything

Summary: The committee first took up HB 455, a local bill for the City of Lake Wales that would allow open containers in a downtown arts district. The sponsor said the city had invested heavily in the area and wanted to support business growth. An amendment clarified that the allowance was intended for cups, not bottles taken from restaurants, and the bill was then adopted favorably without opposition. Members then heard HB 1049 on building permit requirements, which would remove permits for certain work under $7,500 and for battery or backup power systems, while also preempting local governments from adding extra permitting rules. Two amendments were adopted: one clarifying modular homes on RV lots, and another addressing contractor “splitting” of projects to avoid the threshold and requiring five years of record retention. County and local-government groups raised concerns about inspections and permitting, while several business and advocacy groups supported the bill. It passed favorably. HB 1175, dealing with safety design standards for office surgery suites, was presented as a measure directing the Florida Building Commission and State Fire Marshal to establish new standards to improve safety and efficiency. There was no amendment or public testimony, and it passed favorably. The committee then spent extensive time on HB 221, which would let workers waive the state minimum wage for certain work-based learning, internship, or pre-apprenticeship positions for up to nine months, later narrowed by amendment to 252 days, or 126 days for minors with parental consent, and defining the program as structured learning. Supporters framed it as a way to expand apprenticeships and help small businesses offer training opportunities; opponents argued it would create free or subminimum labor, invite abuse and coercion, and raise constitutional concerns. Despite strong opposition testimony from labor, civil rights, and policy groups, the bill passed favorably after debate. The committee also heard HB 4035, a Palm Beach County local bill requiring applicants for a certificate of competency to pass the licensing exam before applying to the Construction Industry Licensing Board. The sponsor said it would streamline and modernize the process, and members discussed it briefly in support. The transcript ends before the final action on that bill is fully shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Clearly with all these utility members, we have several different customer classes with him.
• First residential is a large customer class. As far as count of meters.
• 8 trucks and transitioning those class 8 trucks over to natural gas and a fun fact, which I guess is
• So I-90 1% of our customer class is residential.
• >> I think with FPL is a regulated utility that the rates are really set by customer class.

Transcript Highlights:

• personally where there's some classes personally where there's some classes that<00:14:25.360>
• impacted your ability to choose classes. impacted your ability to choose classes.
• class.
• As a class of 2026, I am ranked within my class.
• so that I can be ranked in my class, but I can't necessarily take the classes I might want to take.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The student walked out of class because she couldn't have her way.
• The student walked out of class because she couldn't have her way.
• The rule is, Around five minutes later, she walked out of class.
• the class, she then began hitting me repeatedly. ...let her enter the class, she then began hitting
• the class to get her phone.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss Florida's world-class network of
• So we're building for their largest class vessel and Icon class, 7,000 passengers. So much larger.
• So we're building for their largest class vessel and Icon class, 7,000 passengers, which will be on the
• So we're building for their largest class vessel and Icon class 7,000 passengers. so much larger.
• So we're building for their largest class vessel and ICONC class, 7,000 passengers, which will be on

Summary: The Transportation Committee heard SB 356 by Senator Wright, which would create an opt-in framework allowing counties and municipalities to designate certain roads for utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs) under local conditions, including driver licensing, insurance, and speed-limit restrictions below 55 mph. Senator Wright said the bill would give law enforcement clearer authority and mirror the local-option approach used for golf carts. Supporters included a retired Volusia County sheriff and county commissioner, who argued UTVs are safer than golf carts and are already being used on roads, while opponents from the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association and Honda warned that UTVs are designed for off-road use, lack federal safety standards, and pose crash and tire-blowout risks on public roads. Several senators raised safety concerns, especially about speed and crash severity, but the committee ultimately voted to report SB 356 favorably. The committee then held a lengthy discussion on seaport infrastructure and funding, beginning with a moment of silence for JaxPort COO and former FDOT employee James Bennett. FDOT presented data showing Florida’s 16 deepwater seaports generate major cargo volume, jobs, and economic impact, and described state funding programs such as FSTED, SPI, and the construction aggregate grant program. Port representatives from Port Everglades, PortMiami, Port Tampa Bay, and the Port of Palm Beach described record cargo and cruise activity, major capital projects, and the need for continued state and federal support for dredging, bulkheads, cranes, rail, and terminal expansion. Senators asked about ROI, trade shifts, intermodal connections, fuel and LNG availability, leverage and reserves, and operational risks such as flooding, sea level rise, and channel depth; port officials emphasized resiliency, private partnerships, and long-term master planning. The committee also confirmed appointees to the Tampa Hillsborough County Expressway Authority and the Tampa Port Authority in one vote, with no objection. Finally, FDOT presented the statewide mapping programs work group report required by SB 1662, explaining that coordinated statewide use of LiDAR and aerial imagery could reduce duplication, improve emergency management and planning, and support insurance and storm-damage assessment. FDOT recommended a formal statewide coordination program, shared procurement and cost-sharing agreements, dedicated staffing, and statutory updates to Chapter 334 to support interagency agreements and recurring funding.