Transcript Highlights:

• And quite a long career, he was big on recruiting and retention in the guard.
• That's a big piece of it.
• Like Senator Kirk pointed out, this is a big step. We want to.
• My big concern is the blanket exclusion, and I just hope maybe we could look at.
• So, that's my big worry. So, I'm absolutely gonna support the bill. I just maybe we can talk.

Bills: SB2026, SB1376, SB1355, SB2115, SB1533

Keywords: military discharge, veterans, DD Form 214, confidentiality, grandchildren access, Oklahoma National Guard, education assistance, military benefits, dependents, CareerTech Assistance Act, burial grant, memorial headstone, eligibility requirements, funding, Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, fiscal management, state law, veteran burial, burial assistance, indigent veterans

Transcript Highlights:

• Big techs answer that their systems are getting better as it learns more are not good enough.
• <00:21:13.200> Big<00:21:13.520> techs he would be alive today.
• Big techs he would be alive today.
• Big techs answer<00:21:14.960> that<00:21:15.280> their<00:21:15.520> systems<00
• But the reality is the big tech companies that have created the social media platforms that we hear all

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved the March 11, 2026 minutes, then heard House File 4048, which would exempt chiropractors from Minnesota’s provider tax if they are no longer eligible to provide chiropractic benefits under Medicaid/MinnesotaCare. Representative Robbins said the bill corrects an unfair situation because chiropractors still pay the tax even though the benefit was eliminated. Testifiers from the Minnesota Chiropractic Association and a longtime chiropractor supported the bill, arguing that most chiropractors are small-business owners and should not pay a tax for services they can no longer provide. Several members said they supported restoring chiropractic coverage instead of changing the tax, and there was discussion about whether the tax applies to all providers and whether it is effectively passed on to patients. The committee adopted a motion to recommend HF 4048 to the Committee on Taxes. The committee then took up House File 3893, as amended, a bill to restrict artificial intelligence from engaging in psychotherapy or counseling with humans. The author and supporters said the bill is intended to prevent AI chatbots from posing as therapists or counseling vulnerable people, citing reports of suicides and other harms linked to chatbot interactions. The A2 amendment was adopted; the author said it reflected stakeholder concerns and added informed-consent language. Testifiers in support, including a psychologist and a suicide-prevention nonprofit leader, urged strong safeguards and said AI should not replace licensed professionals in crisis settings. Other testimony raised concerns about overbreadth and unintended effects. TechNet and a rural mental health provider said the bill should be narrowed so it applies to clinical therapy rather than wellness or educational tools, and should allow supervised AI uses such as transcription and administrative support. Members discussed rural access, existing licensing-board authority, privacy laws, and whether the bill should target AI companies directly rather than licensed clinicians. The transcript ends during continued discussion of HF 3893, with no final committee action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• , Sergeant First Class Devin Johnson, Lieutenant Daniel Truso, Senior Master Sergeant Mark Bohack, Tech
• Sergeant Megan Feny, and Tech Sergeant Grace Mayer.
• Master Sergeant Mark Bohack, Tech Master Sergeant Mark Bohack, Tech Sergeant<00:19:29.520> Megan
• <00:19:29.840> Feny,<00:19:30.320> Tech<00:19:30.559> Sergeant<00:19:30.960>
• Grace Sergeant Megan Feny, Tech Sergeant Grace Sergeant Megan Feny, Tech Sergeant Grace Mayer

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The caucus of the whole was held as the annual State of the Guard address, featuring Adjutant General Gregory Knight’s remarks to legislators and guests. Knight said this would likely be his final address before retirement and thanked Gold Star families, military survivors, Governor Phil Scott, honorary commanders, legislative leaders, his family, and many Guard and community partners. He emphasized that the Vermont National Guard is a civic institution, not just a military force, and said its strength depends on a strong relationship with the legislature. Knight reviewed several priorities and accomplishments, including regular transparency updates to the governor, legislature, congressional delegation, and force; the creation of the Vermont National Guard and Veterans Caucus; and legislation supporting education, workforce development, benefits, and service members’ families. He highlighted recruiting and retention efforts, including the Prime employer partnership program, which he said now has 40 employer partners and 24 more pending, and argued that Vermont can attract and retain service members by connecting military experience to civilian jobs and education opportunities. He also discussed organizational climate improvements, mental health and prevention staffing, and the need for more providers who accept military patients and Tricare, noting the Howard Center and other health centers are expanding military and veteran care. The address also covered the Guard’s broader role in emergency response, citizenship, diversity, and international partnerships. Knight described recent deployments and state responses to COVID-19, flooding, and other emergencies, explained Guard duty statuses and called for congressional reform to simplify them, and outlined state partnership work with Austria, North Macedonia, and Senegal, as well as related educational and economic initiatives. He recognized numerous Guard members, recruiters, fiscal staff, media partners, and outside collaborators for their contributions. No votes were taken. The meeting concluded with Speaker recognition of Knight’s service and an announcement that the caucus had ended and the House would gavel in shortly afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• and Civivy Tech was a highly partisan organization.
• I know we're trying to get at the civi tech thing.
• She did not have a very big budget, so she was very frugal with her.
• So she's a big fan of yours too because we're big Elvis fans. Thank you very much.
• Another thing I'd like to see is some big bold letters at the very top.

Bills: HB304

Keywords: franchise tax credit, food desert, grocery store, healthy corner store, nutrition assistance, economic development, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• wanted to look at how is this working, and a researcher by the name of Jacob Kirksey out of Texas Tech
• And a researcher by the name of Jacob Kirksey out of Texas Tech has done extensive research on how does
• What the students told us, as we know, was there was a big MET study out of the Gates Institute, and
• And with the new federal HR1, big beautiful bill, that bill, in that act, they say Arizona now as a state

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Education Committee began with a lengthy presentation from Dr. Victoria Dyson Homer on the Arizona Teacher Residency Program. She argued that Arizona faces a teacher shortage and high attrition, with many teachers uncertified or leaving early, and said research shows high-quality, practice-based residencies improve retention, teacher confidence, and student outcomes. She compared Arizona with Texas, described Arizona Teacher Residency’s structure as a year-long apprenticeship paired with coursework and mentorship, and said the program’s early data show strong retention and positive student feedback. Committee members asked about how the residency differs from traditional student teaching, its master’s-degree structure, and whether it should influence broader teacher-preparation and salary policies. The committee then heard and debated SCR 1006, a ballot referral dealing with school restroom and pronoun policies. The measure would require schools to provide reasonable accommodations for students unwilling or unable to use sex-designated multi-occupancy restrooms or sleeping quarters, and would bar school employees from using pronouns or names inconsistent with a student’s biological sex without written parental permission. The sponsor framed it as a parental-rights and student-safety measure, while opponents from education, civil liberties, and mental health backgrounds called it discriminatory, unnecessary, and harmful to transgender and non-binary students. After public testimony and member debate, the committee approved SCR 1006 on a 7-5 vote. The committee also considered SB 1126, which would require schools to provide certain student records and related information to Department of Child Safety caseworkers during abuse or neglect investigations and would prohibit schools from blocking staff from speaking directly with DCS. DCS testified neutrally, saying the bill could help resolve delays and improve information sharing, while members raised FERPA and guardianship concerns. The bill passed 10-0 with two members present. Finally, the committee took up SB 1210, which requires certain out-of-state private postsecondary institutions offering fully online programs to Arizona residents to register with the state’s private postsecondary regulator and comply with tuition recovery fund requirements unless covered by reciprocity. Supporters said the bill closes a regulatory loophole and protects students financially; it passed 11-1. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• It does seem to be an issue on our end, so we're reaching out to our tech team to make sure that we resolve
• We'll work to get the tech issues resolved. Let's go to the room.
• practical and near-term enabling means by which much of this property can be addressed in projects big
• There's a lot of folks that could invest in a small property, but it's, you know, they can't do a big

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What this does is these organizations, especially large hospitals and big banks, or any of those types
• But all three of these projects, all three of them are going to be a big part of this Three of these
• Our IV&V vendor, Tech Valley Talent, did a pretty good job of articulating that that deadline probably
• contract is a contract, so perhaps it wasn't contemplated in the original contract, but you know, a tech

Transcript Highlights:

• And I don't want to silence or douse anyone's desire to solve a big problem or to be innovative because
• The other thing I will tell you, it's been a big disappointment for me to see that we don't have our
• At Ivy Tech, we're talking about associate degrees in library sciences.
• But if they're a privately held company, which a lot of tech companies are, especially when they're starting
• These big companies, what I'm scared about are the smaller ones, these smaller niche social media outlets

Keywords: 964, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That factor is a big factor for districts like Fargo, West Fargo, and Grand Forks, while the other factor
• What about a career and tech center?
• So they do not get to count that career and tech center in their buildings.
• It's really miles and runs that are the big... ...the funding a whole lot.
• So basically, the loss of this 81% is a big impact on our 284 kids, and most of which are all poverty

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to hear and discuss three education bills and related budget items. House Bill 1214 would revise K-12 transportation funding by replacing the current rider-based formula with a new formula tied more closely to district size, square mileage, building counts, and the weighted student payment. Sponsors and DPI said the change would better reflect actual transportation costs, hold districts harmless overall, and likely increase funding by about $4 million beyond current spending; they also said parent-provided transportation and open-enrollment mileage rules would remain largely unchanged. No opposition was heard, and the committee closed discussion without taking final action in the transcript. The committee then reviewed House Bill 1013, the education appropriations bill, and walked through proposed adjustments to program and pass-through grants. The chair proposed keeping or reducing some items, eliminating others, and moving one-time items to the stabilization fund; examples included leaving free meals at $4.5 million for now, keeping the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, reducing some grant lines, and removing several new or one-time grants. DPI also explained that the student information system would remain a flow-through grant for this biennium but would move in-house after July 1, 2026. The committee also discussed adding an FTE for the School for the Blind and making a small equipment swap at the Center for Distance Education. House Bill 1369 was discussed as the main school aid bill, including a proposed 2 percent and 2 percent per-pupil payment increase, higher construction bidding thresholds, elimination of the 12 percent cap, and a transfer of $75 million from Foundation Aid to the School Construction Revolving Loan Fund, with the chair suggesting $100 million instead. DPI explained that the bill also included a policy change returning placement decisions for students with disabilities in congregate care to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with support from the governor’s office. The committee heard testimony from school officials seeking gap funding for Title I losses caused by a switch from free-and-reduced-lunch to census-based allocations, saying districts with many open-enrolled students could lose substantial funding and staff positions. Later, the governor’s office presented a proposed $1.5 million one-time appropriation to help schools buy secure storage for student cell phones if a statewide device policy is adopted; members raised concerns about cost, local control, and whether the money would be enough. The committee also heard student testimony and then recessed without voting on the amendment in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Immigrants have been a big part of the workforce, the economy.
• But her fights were also big. She banned... But her fights were also big.
• Briana never saw a fight that was too big, too small, or out of reach.
• I was an aide in this building to Senators Jack Taylor and Ron Tech back in 2005.
• Both of my parents were big deal hair people, if you didn't know. Makeup.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then can you explain, so you mentioned earlier some big numbers.
• I wrote the big numbers down, but I didn't catch the rest of it.
• One of them obviously cost, but transparency is a big, a big thing for us, you know, when we sit down
• with, uh, some of the various players in this insurance business, it's really big money, big money.
• I'm the president and CEO of THBI, um, and, um, you will hear from the big pharma companies today.

Transcript Highlights:

• And when most people think of companies leading on AI, they think of the big tech companies.
• leading on AI, they think of the big leading on AI, they think of the big tech<00:29:37.280>
• AI economy than those big companies. AI economy than those big companies.
• can often be more agile than bigger tech can often be more agile than bigger tech companies<00:29
• <03:06:43.040> ideas helped small businesses turn big ideas helped small businesses turn big

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, March 16, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Have we seen a big spike in claims?
• That’s not a big enough deterrent effect.
• I’m going to spend my time on this guy because this is the big bucks. This is the big bucks.
• So I'm a big fan of the bill.
• So I'm a big fan of the bill. Also, we'd like me as a co-author.

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with most drawing support after amendments or ongoing stakeholder negotiations. SB 29, by Senator Laird, would extend a sunset on the law allowing pain-and-suffering claims to survive a plaintiff’s death; supporters, including a family member describing a medical negligence case, labor groups, consumer advocates, and disability and elder organizations, argued it prevents defendants from running out the clock, while hospitals, medical groups, and business organizations warned of higher costs and added liability. After extensive debate about data collection, settlement reporting, and the impact on health care access, the bill passed to Appropriations on a divided vote. SB 294, by Senator Reyes and presented by Senator Laird, would require employers to notify a worker’s emergency contact if the worker is arrested or detained and would create a template to inform employees of state and federal labor rights. Labor and worker advocates said the bill would help workers understand and enforce their rights amid weakened federal enforcement; there was no opposition on file, and the bill passed unanimously to Appropriations. SB 697 would modernize water-rights adjudication by allowing the State Water Board to use technology instead of requiring in-person field investigations; with no opposition, it also passed unanimously. The committee also advanced SB 37 on attorney advertising, SB 645 on peremptory challenges in civil cases, SB 303 on bias-mitigation trainings in public workplaces, and SB 464 on expanding pay-data reporting for specified state workers. SB 37 drew support from consumer and legal groups but concerns from Walker Advertising about joint advertising; members said negotiations were ongoing, and the bill passed. SB 645 would extend anti-bias jury-selection rules to certain civil rights cases; criminal-defense and defense groups said they were close to agreement, and the bill passed. SB 303 and SB 464 were both amended to narrow scope and moved forward after several opponents shifted to neutral or removed opposition. The committee also approved a consent calendar of additional bills, all sent to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, how big can a to have licensing? So, how big can a producer<00:30:27.279> become?
• that's a big risk as well. well. well.
• <02:07:09.040> will to come back and our techs will to come back and our techs will reinspect
• So, it makes a big difference.
• So, it makes a big where you're riding.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are two big buckets there.
• It's a fairly big number.
• We wanted to move away from a big monolithic mainframe system, We wanted to move away from a big monolithic
• I think talent plays a big role.
• I think talent plays a big role.

Summary: The subcommittee heard updates on several major technology modernization efforts, beginning with the Department of Financial Services’ Florida PALM project, which is replacing the state’s decades-old FLAIR accounting system. DFS described PALM as a statewide effort affecting all three branches of government, with cash management already live and the remaining financial management, payroll, and data warehouse components still in development. Officials said the project began in 2014, was restructured after a 2022 legislative pause, and is now being recommended for a go-live delay from January 2026 to July 2026. Members asked about governance, staffing, contract structure, cost growth, and maintenance costs; DFS said the contract is deliverable-based, the current amendment would add a net $2.2 million, and post-go-live maintenance is expected to be about $13 million annually under the current contract through July 2027. The Agency for Health Care Administration then updated the committee on the FX Medicaid enterprise modernization program. AHCA explained that federal CMS directed states to move from monolithic Medicaid systems to a modular approach, leading Florida to procure separate vendors for integration services, data warehouse, unified operations, provider services, and claims processing, with pharmacy benefits still to be procured. Officials said the project has spent about $334 million to date, with most costs federally matched, and requested $189.95 million for the upcoming year. They also highlighted a 2024 special assessment that produced 81 recommendations, most tied to staffing shortages, and said the Legislature added 47 FTEs, with 17 currently filled or being filled. Members asked about governance changes, production status, data access, and future technology maintenance; AHCA said some components are operational, the data warehouse is nearing certification, and the agency is working to keep the system adaptable and nonproprietary. The Department of Children and Families presented its Access modernization project, which is replacing a mainframe-based eligibility system used for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid assistance, and related programs. DCF said the six-year, $205 million project is in its third year and has already delivered a new customer portal with mobile access, multi-factor authentication, and fraud protections, while also building a worker portal, document management, community partner tools, and workload management functions. The agency said it is requesting $36.625 million for the next fiscal year, the same as last year, and emphasized that the project has remained on schedule and on budget by breaking work into smaller modules and using strong vendor and staff support. Members praised the project’s progress and asked about cybersecurity testing and the long delay before modernization began; DCF said security requirements were built in from the outset and that the remaining work will focus on moving staff off the legacy mainframe and modernizing notices and back-end processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've done some big deals, but I've never done a deal that big, and to finance most of those you need.
• I'm a big fan of the co-op model as an option, but this doesn't seem fair.
• I'm a big fan of the co-op model as an option, but this doesn't seem fair.
• I'm a big fan of the co-op model as an option, but this doesn't seem fair.
• This affects all my tech housing.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, is kind of just some clarity on how we're going to handle both, because they're both big, big
• big issues.
• Working with Stand Tech as I have, you know, like Mayor, work.
• Let's dream big.
• This next fair, which is the Route 66 100th anniversary, we have a big theme.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Oh, so it's as big?
• We're big in electronics because of what's happening in Foxconn across the border.
• It's a special overweight permit to carry like a big bulldozer or something.
• They have a plant here and a big plant in Mexico City.
• Having this relationship with our local first responders is a big part of our success.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not as big as you are. We're kind of a big town, small city, and we like that atmosphere.
• You know, we're not the big deal of school, like U of F, especially in basketball.
• First, I want to say a big thank you to Mr. Young.
• First, I want to say a big thank you to Mr. Young.
• A big part of that strength is our state.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education heard and approved two bills before moving into confirmation hearings for several university and college board nominees. CS/SB 1458 on apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships was presented as a measure to improve consistency and transparency in local education agency partnerships, cap LEA administrative funding at 10% when applicable, and require public meetings and work papers for workforce funding model decisions. Support was noted from Associated Builders and Contractors, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Foundations for Florida Futures, and Independent Electrical Contractors. The bill passed unanimously and was reported favorably. The committee then considered CS/CS/SB 1726 on higher education governance and presidential searches after adopting a delete-all amendment and a late-filed amendment defining the final group of presidential applicants as no fewer than three. The amended bill added provisions on trustee citizenship and residency/alumni eligibility, interim president succession planning, longer presidential contract renewals, limits on candidate polling by universities, syllabus posting, textbook/open-access material lists, and other governance and academic policy changes. Senators raised concerns about the minimum-three finalist requirement, interim president selection, trustee eligibility, and polling restrictions, while supporters said the bill would depoliticize leadership selection and improve transparency. The bill was reported favorably after the amendments were adopted. The committee then heard confirmation testimony from multiple appointees and reappointees, including nominees for FAMU, UNF, Pensacola State College, UWF, and UF. Most nominees emphasized ties to their institutions, student success, workforce development, military connections, and institutional growth. Several UWF nominees were questioned extensively about their votes for former chair Scott Yenner and his controversial comments about women and other groups; some said they were unaware of those remarks at the time of the vote and would not have supported him with that knowledge. Public testimony on UWF expressed concern about the nominees’ lack of higher education experience, their ties to the region, and the impact of Yenner’s views. The committee later voted to recommend a block of non-UWF nominees favorably, and it agreed to vote on the UWF nominees individually, with some remaining nominees deferred to a later hearing due to time.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not as big as you are. We're kind of a big town, small city, and we like that atmosphere.
• You know, we're not the big deal of school, like U of F, especially in basketball.
• First, I want to say a big thank you to Mr. Young.
• First, I want to say a big thank you to Mr. Young.
• A big part of that strength is our state.

Summary: The committee first heard CS/SB 1458 on apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. The bill sponsor said it would add consistency and transparency by requiring local education agencies and training providers to define their roles and funding shares in contracts, cap an LEA’s share at 10% when it serves only an administrative role, and require public meetings and published work papers for the district workforce education funding steering committee. Several industry and business groups appeared in support, and the bill was reported favorably without debate. The committee then took up CS/CS/SB 1726 on higher education, which was substantially revised by a delete-all amendment. The amended bill addressed presidential searches, trustee eligibility, interim presidents, polling by universities, mission reviews, and other governance issues. Members asked about the requirement that final presidential candidate groups include at least three applicants, the qualifications for interim presidents, trustee residency/alumni requirements, and limits on candidate polling. Senators Leek and Smith offered contrasting views, with Leek warning about candidate withdrawals and Smith supporting the bill as a way to depoliticize higher education governance. The bill, as amended, was reported favorably. The remainder of the meeting was devoted to confirmation hearings for university and college boards of trustees. Several appointees and reappointees from FAMU, UNF, Pensacola State College, UF, and UWF described their ties to their institutions and goals such as student success, workforce alignment, military support, research, and regional access. The UWF nominees drew the most scrutiny over their votes for former board chair Scott Yenor, whose public comments about women and other groups were criticized by senators and public commenters. Some nominees said they were unaware of the full scope of those remarks and would not have voted for him with that knowledge; others defended their votes as based on his education-reform views. Public testimony also raised concerns about UWF board members’ lack of higher-education experience and local ties. The committee confirmed the non-UWF nominees in a block vote and then began individual votes on the UWF nominees, with debate centered on Yenor-related concerns.