Transcript Highlights:

• Where is the full screen button? I never... Oh, thank you. And just... I'm managing your emergency.
• Statutorily, you can see on the screen, these are the things that make you a homeowner eligible for an
• And so for all the roof-related items, you can see on the screen, those are the technical words the statute
• Roof-related items you can see on the screen.

Summary: The Banking and Insurance Committee heard a series of presentations focused on mitigation, flood and wind resilience, and insurance discounts. Kevin Guthrie of the Florida Division of Emergency Management outlined several funding streams for mitigation, including federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program dollars, BRIC grants, flood mitigation assistance, and the state hurricane loss mitigation program. He emphasized the new Elevate Florida initiative, which will use about $400 million initially to elevate or reconstruct flood-prone homes, starting with National Flood Insurance Program properties and severe repetitive-loss homes, with no current per-home cap. Guthrie said the state will contract directly with licensed vendors and aims to reduce future flood losses, lower insurance costs, and keep properties on the tax rolls rather than relying on buyouts. Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworski described Florida’s windstorm mitigation discount program, explaining that the 1802 inspection form is used to assess a home’s overall “envelope” and determine statutory discounts. He said the office is updating the program based on a new wind loss study, with likely changes including greater recognition of roof types such as metal roofs and possible territorial risk adjustments. He also said the Legislature now requires the office to revisit the study every five years. Stephen Fielder of the Department of Financial Services reported on My Safe Florida Home, noting that the program offers inspections and grants for roof and opening protections, has completed more than 100,000 inspections, and has reimbursed hundreds of millions of dollars. He said the department has validated its discount calculations with insurers and that the program is intended to help homeowners reduce premiums through verified mitigation work. Michael Newman of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety said Florida’s building code is nationally leading and that post-Ian surveys found no wind-driven structural damage in buildings built after adoption of the code. He argued that mitigation should be treated as a system, not isolated upgrades, and suggested adding Fortified designation to the state’s mitigation form to better document verified resilience improvements. Bill Truex, a county commissioner and builder, stressed the need to educate homeowners about floodproofing and roof choices, citing examples where flood panels prevented damage and noting that asphalt shingles often do not last as long in Florida as their marketing suggests. In panel discussion, senators asked about program eligibility, outreach to elderly and digitally challenged residents, contractor vetting, roof-life disclosures, and whether flood insurance should be more broadly required. Officials said outreach will include call centers and in-person assistance, and several participants urged better consumer disclosure and more data-driven guidance on roof and mitigation choices.

Transcript Highlights:

• the system, so they would have to be given full access to the system to be able to complete court screens
• , do placement screens, inter-exit screens, all kinds of things that go along with the casework.”

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The committee considered several bills and amendments, beginning with House Bill 4995 on video cameras in special education classrooms. Counsel explained that the bill would require parents to be notified of recording interruptions, provide written notice of the camera law to parents and school employees, allow recordings to be used for discipline of school personnel, shorten required random review intervals from 90 days to 30 days, and clarify that local boards still must independently investigate abuse allegations. The committee then moved to report HB 4995 to the full Senate with a do pass recommendation, and the motion was adopted. House Bill 5214, dealing with child abuse and neglect cases, was amended to allow courts to require drug testing of parents in certain cases, require laboratory confirmation of positive results, require the department to pay testing costs, and notify the court and guardian ad litem of positive results. The committee adopted the amendment, reported the bill as amended, and adopted a title amendment. The committee also considered House Bill 4025 and House Bill 5441, both restructuring civil service and grievance procedures for certain state agencies. HB 4025 would exempt employees of Health, health facilities, and Human Services from classified civil service and grievance procedures beginning July 1, 2026, while HB 5441 would do the same for Transportation, Revenue, and the Bureau for Social Services and transfer personnel functions to the Division of Personnel. After discussion, the committee adopted the amendments and reported both bills as amended. For House Bill 4602, a revived child welfare privatization proposal, the committee heard testimony from the Bureau for Social Services about caseloads, provider access to the PATH system, oversight responsibilities, and concerns about costs and outcomes in other states. The chair amended the bill to remove one of the two pilot regions, leaving only the Berkeley/Jefferson County pilot. Despite opposition from the senator from Marion, the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill as amended. House Bill 4106, which would remove the provisional concealed handgun license requirement for 18- to 20-year-olds, drew testimony from a pediatric physician opposing the change and from a gun rights advocate supporting it. An amendment requiring under-21 individuals to complete firearms training was offered but defeated by roll call vote, and the bill was then reported as amended. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 4198, an E-Verify bill. A subcommittee report and strike-and-insert amendment revised definitions, exemptions, notice requirements, record retention, and penalties, and the committee invoked the previous question to end debate. The strike-and-insert amendment was adopted, and HB 4198 was reported to the full Senate as amended. House Bill 5319 was removed from the agenda, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• the system, so they would have to be given full access to the system to be able to complete court screens
• , do placement screens, inter-exit screens, all kinds of things that go along with the casework.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The committee considered and advanced several bills. House Bill 4995, concerning video cameras in special education classrooms, was explained as requiring parents to be notified of recording interruptions, providing written notice of the law to parents and school employees, shortening the required random review of recordings from every 90 days to every 30 days, and clarifying that school boards must still conduct independent investigations even if DHS or prosecutors do not act. The committee adopted the motion to report the bill to the full Senate. House Bill 5214, dealing with drug testing in child abuse and neglect cases, would allow courts to order testing of parents in certain cases, require laboratory confirmation of positives, and require DHS to notify the court and other parties; the committee adopted the strike-and-insert amendment, then reported the bill as amended and adopted a title amendment. The committee also advanced House Bill 4025 and House Bill 5441, both restructuring state personnel systems. HB 4025 would exempt employees of the Department of Health, health facilities, and human services from classified civil service and grievance procedures beginning July 1, 2026, while preserving status for some current employees and allowing exemptions to comply with federal requirements; the committee adopted a piecemeal amendment and reported it as amended. HB 5441 would eliminate separate civil service systems for Transportation, Revenue, and the Bureau for Social Services and move classifications and compensation structures to the Division of Personnel, with testimony from the governor’s counsel emphasizing faster hiring and more flexibility; the committee adopted the strike-and-insert amendment and reported the bill as amended. House Bill 4602, a child welfare pilot program creating a private community-based system for post-removal services, drew testimony from DHS about concerns over costs, continuity, oversight, and child well-being outcomes, while supporters argued it could reduce caseloads and improve flexibility. The chair amended the bill to remove one of the two pilot regions, leaving only the Berkeley/Jefferson County pilot, and the committee then reported the bill as amended despite opposition from the senator from Marion. House Bill 4106, removing the provisional concealed handgun license requirement for ages 18 to 21, heard testimony from a pediatrician opposing the change and from a gun rights advocate supporting it; an amendment requiring firearms training for under-21 carriers failed by a 1-14 roll call, and the committee then reported the bill as amended. Finally, House Bill 4198, after a subcommittee rewrite, was advanced with a strike-and-insert amendment that refined E-Verify requirements for public and private employers, added exemptions for certain small or new employers and sole proprietors, clarified recordkeeping and notice requirements, and adjusted penalties and enforcement procedures. After a motion for the previous question, the committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 4198 as amended. House Bill 5319 was removed from the agenda, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just a reminder, there's a timer on the screen, and please stay within one minute. Good morning.
• Again, one minute, and there should be a timer on your screen. Go ahead, Allie.
• Chesney Hatch was called to testify on Zoom, with a reminder that the countdown timer should be on screen

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• IF YOU FOLLOW AROUND THE CIRCLE ON THE SCREEN YOU WILL SEE WE LICENSE COMPANIES, WE BRING THEM INTO THE
• PROJECTIONS BUT WE ASK WE CERTAINLY REVIEW THEM AS PART OF THE RATE FILINGS THAT ARE APPROVED AND ON THE SCREEN
• BARTLEMAN WAS SAYING AS YOU HAVE ON THE SCREEN 97% OF THE MARKET ENROLLEES ARE SUBSIDIZED MEANING ANY

Transcript Highlights:

• vaccines and when we looked up the data on this bill, we found that, uh, testing and early, early screening
• There is no early screening.
• Hold on my screen window.

Transcript Highlights:

• development, and, most significantly, free health clinics that provide vital support for heavy metal screening
• Our Seva Health Clinic has seen firsthand the devastating effects of this pressure, with screenings revealing
• If a warning label on a screen can be used to protect a child, can make even one kid pause or put down

Bills: HF2779, HF1645, HF1885, HF1289, HF1534, HF2707, HF1675, HF3046

Keywords: health care transparency, ownership disclosure, control reporting, health care consolidation, private equity, management services organization, MSO, provider organization, health insurer, pharmacy benefit manager, hospital system, affiliate reporting, financial disclosure, public reporting, market concentration, horizontal consolidation, vertical consolidation, health care ownership, corporate practice, health care regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• Ensuring that our stories, our voices, our rich cultural heritage are represented in the big screen,
• HB 3917 by Rose relating to the coverage of maternal depression screenings under Medicaid and child health
• HB 4147 by Jones of Dallas relating to informed consent for certain screening testing tests referred

Transcript Highlights:

• Quality nursing care begins with screening, selecting individuals, Quality nursing care begins with screening
• Screening also encompasses students with character and ethics to maintain the standards required to deliver

Summary: The Careers and Workforce Subcommittee heard three bills. HB 919 on nursing education programs would tighten accountability for nursing schools with low NCLEX pass rates by shortening the probation period, requiring remediation plans, mandating free remediation for students who fail, and requiring tuition reimbursement for programs with very low pass rates. The sponsor argued Florida’s nursing pass rates are unacceptably low and that stronger consequences are needed; opponents warned the bill could shut down programs, worsen the nursing shortage, and unfairly target private schools, while supporters said it would protect students and improve outcomes. After debate, the bill was reported favorably by a vote of 18-0. The committee then heard PCS for HB 1261, the “Smart Living Act,” a student-driven proposal from Jefferson High School in Hillsborough County to expand personal financial literacy and practical life-skills instruction in high school. Students and school officials testified that the bill would better prepare graduates for adulthood by covering topics such as budgeting, credit, loans, FAFSA, resumes, interviews, and basic household skills. Members praised the students’ work and the bill’s practical focus, and the PCS was reported favorably 18-0. Finally, the committee considered HB 809, which would exempt school social workers from educator certification requirements for general and subject-area knowledge. Supporters from Lee and Broward counties said the current testing requirement is unrelated to social work, creates financial and recruitment barriers, and has contributed to staffing shortages. Members from both parties supported the measure as a simple way to remove an obstacle to hiring and retaining school social workers. HB 809 was also reported favorably by a vote of 18-0, and the meeting adjourned after all agenda items were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• A few years ago, we implemented a system of coordinated screening and progress monitoring designed to
• of our statewide required assessments, which includes as chair Simon mention the new coordinated screening
• Progress monitor of screening and progress monitoring.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• given a contraption that's<01:05:42.799> basically<01:05:43.200> a<01:05:43.599> screen
• patient with neck injuries lying in a hospital bed unable to turn their head even to see the VRI screen
• If there were a two-dimensional screen.
• , unable to sit up and look at the screen, unable to sit up and look at the screen, she<01:06:40.799
• their head even to see the VRI screen their head even to see the VRI screen was<01:07:08.160>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, there's a program called Min Choices, which is what you have to be screened by to get into one of
• Choices, which is what you have<00:54:46.640> to<00:54:46.720> be<00:54:46.880> screened
• c> to<00:54:48.000> get<00:54:48.160> into<00:54:48.400> one have to be screened
• by to get into one have to be screened by to get into one of<00:54:48.640> these<00:54:48.880
• <01:05:39.039> program's state's newborn screening program's state's newborn screening program's

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , including periodic prenatal and postpartum depression screening of pregnant and postpartum patients
• providing maternal depression screening providing maternal depression screening for<03:48:42.800
• ,<03:49:17.439> including maternal depression screening, including maternal depression screening
• of pregnant and depression screening of pregnant and postpartum<03:49:22.640> patients.
• for the caregiver depression screening for the caregiver of<03:49:29.520> a<03:49:29.760>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the gasification plant takes the chunk coal, we deliver it over there, and then we run it over some screens
• And then we run it over some screens, and the finer coal falls through, and that gets transferred over
• This is the Leland Olds Station, and you can kind of see on the right-hand side of the screen, way at
• The other thing that you see on the screen here, this is the bottom ash conveyor.
• And then once we go out to the back, we go to our next screen, to the scrubber.

Summary: The committee met at the Coteau Freedom Mine in Mercer County, approved the June 2 minutes, and heard an overview of the mine from Coteau Properties president Andrew Hawbaker. He described the Freedom Mine as the largest lignite mine in the United States, supplying coal to Dakota Gasification, Antelope Valley Station, and Leland Olds Station. He emphasized the mine’s scale, safety record, reclamation work, workforce needs, community involvement, and economic impact, including payroll, taxes, royalties, scholarships, and local hiring. Members asked about how long land stays in production, how quickly it returns to agriculture after reclamation, labor shortages, and how mining affects groundwater and water wells. Hawbaker said most tracts are mined for about three to five years, reclamation is coordinated with landowners, and the company continues to struggle to find electricians, welders, mechanics, operators, and engineers. The committee then heard from Public Service Commission Chairman Randy Christman on coal mining reclamation and permitting. He reviewed North Dakota’s coal mining history, the state’s reclamation laws, federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act primacy, bonding, permit renewals and revisions, prohibited mining areas, inspection and enforcement, and contemporaneous reclamation requirements. Christman stressed that North Dakota’s program is professional and thorough, with frequent inspections, financial assurance, and a 10-year revegetation monitoring period before bond release. He also discussed federal coal ownership issues that can delay mine plans, the treatment of prime farmland, and how reclamation differs for wind and pipelines. In response to questions, he said one challenge is sometimes releasing land too soon before long-term compaction issues are fully understood, and he noted that data centers do not currently have a comparable reclamation model because they typically own the land. In the afternoon, the committee received an update from Lignite Energy Council president Jonathan Fortner on the lignite industry. He said North Dakota’s lignite sector supports five commercial power plants, four mines, about 12,000 direct and indirect jobs, and more than $5.5 billion in economic activity, while helping keep the state’s electricity rates among the lowest in the nation. Fortner reviewed coal severance and conversion tax revenues, the lignite research fund, federal regulatory rollbacks, carbon capture policy, and the industry’s legal costs fighting federal rules. He also highlighted a study on large-load development, saying new data centers and critical mineral processing facilities could create major local tax revenue and help justify new baseload generation. Members asked whether new gas pipelines would crowd out coal plant development and whether the economic study included jobs and broader local impacts; Fortner said the industry sees room for both and that the study did include construction, operations, jobs, and tax effects.

Transcript Highlights:

• Of course, at the nucleus, what you're seeing on the next screen is illegal cell phones.
• We currently are working across teams to tighten screening and proven verification and find solutions
• Advanced screening technologies using millimeter-wave technology similar to what you see in the airport
• Advanced screening technologies using millimeter wave technology similar to what you see in the airport
• That's something that takes a little bit more time in the screening of our cases.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Like he's trying to memorize the Gettysburg Address, just so he can switch back to the first screen to
• Meanwhile, the button to autofill the code is sitting right there on the same screen, quietly judging
• So insurance allows for preventative care, access to screenings, access to treatment after a diagnosis
• It also dealt with background screenings, which are currently not required in surrogacy arrangements
• When you adopt a child, they do a background screen.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee considered a large agenda of bills and reported several measures favorably. Early action included SB 6, a settled claim bill involving the Department of Children and Families and a trust for Leila Estrada and Sapphire Williams, and CS/CS/SB 1266, which creates a cybersecurity experiential learning and clearance-readiness program through the Department of Commerce and Cyber Florida. The committee also approved SB 532 on clerks of court funding, allowing clerks to retain all excess Article V revenue rather than returning half to the state and clarifying foreclosure sale procedures. In addition, the committee passed CS/CS/SB 1602 and CS/CS/SB 1604 to create and fund a pilot housing program for veterans through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, and CS/SB 1110 to expand Medicaid and private insurance coverage for medically necessary orthotics and prosthetics, including testimony from affected families and advocates. The committee also adopted an amendment and then favorably reported CS/CS/SB 1012 on inmate services, removing the bill’s medical-services compensation provisions while retaining changes to the inmate welfare trust fund and related facility uses. It also adopted a delete-all amendment and then favorably reported CS/CS/CS/SB 1614, which was narrowed to remove a provision allowing local governments to use excess fees to construct new buildings. The committee spent substantial time on CS/SB 17, a Medicaid oversight and transparency bill. The sponsor said the measure would create a joint legislative Medicaid oversight committee, authorize the Legislature to retain its own actuary, modernize Medicaid statutes, strengthen managed-care performance standards, and increase accountability for pharmacy benefit managers and related entities. After amendment, the committee adopted changes removing several PBM-related provisions while retaining the broader oversight framework. Testimony from supporters emphasized transparency, fraud prevention, and cost control, while a PBM trade association asked to continue working on affiliate-manufacturer, network, and payment issues. The bill was reported favorably. The most extensive discussion centered on CS/SB 1758, which proposes major changes to Medicaid and SNAP. The sponsor described five reforms: stronger fraud and overpayment recovery authority, a Medicaid work requirement for certain able-bodied adults, expanded behavioral-health services through Medicaid waivers, pharmacy-program changes to obtain rebates and reduce institutional costs, and SNAP/EBT reforms including photo IDs and work requirements. The committee adopted two amendments: one adding a transitional “glide path” for people who gain employment but risk losing Medicaid, and another exempting hospice patients with six months or less to live. Supporters argued the bill would reduce fraud, improve accountability, and encourage work, while opponents warned it would increase administrative burdens, push eligible people off coverage, and conflict with federal law or guidance. The bill remained under debate with extensive public testimony from advocates, providers, and affected families, and the transcript ends before final disposition on the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• In this bill, there is a three-panel member of retired judges who create a screening panel.
• In this bill, there is a three-panel member of retired judges who create a screening panel.
• In this bill, there is a three-panel member of retired judges who create a screening panel.
• In this bill, there is a three-panel member of retired judges who create a screening panel.
• And then of the 30, there are five members... create a screening panel uh there is a a create a screening

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Such as cancer screenings and chronic disease management and help achieve cost savings and better health
• just like the populations that are covered today, they would have access to some of those same. screenings
• We completed 34 audits and we screened over 76. 6,000 provider applications.
• tests on our newborn screening panel, as well as. incorporating PFAS testing into our standard water
• immunization databases am I correct on that yes There's a lot of information, you know, newborn screening

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Section five is for the maltreatment screening guidelines, and they must not be limited; they must not
• limit an agency's ability to screen and investigate a report of maltreatment that may have occurred
• limit an agency's ability to screen and investigate a report of maltreatment that may have occurred
• > guidelines<00:13:13.600> and the malreatment screening guidelines and the malreatment
• screening guidelines and um<00:13:14.720> that<00:13:15.279> they<00:13:15.920> uh<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Judges will tell you that especially if they have some kind of screening in their courthouse, they may
• Judges will tell you that especially if they have some kind of screening in their courthouse, they may
• that you see Uh the dollar amounts here that you see on<00:08:03.759> the<00:08:03.919> screen
• are ones that are modeled on the screen are ones that are modeled after,<00:08:06.479> I<00:08
• <00:08:16.800> um if they have some kind of screening um if they have some kind of screening

Bills: HF3874, HF3875, HF3378

Keywords: judicial funding, Chief Justice security, fiscal year 2028, court system, judicial branch, judiciary, court notices, restitution, child protection, publication process, human services, Optum reports, data privacy, transparency, legislative oversight, 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the March 3 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Minnesota Judicial Branch on House File 3874, which was laid over for possible inclusion in a finance bill. State Court Administrator Jeff Shorba and Chief Judge Michael Fritz testified in support of a supplemental funding request focused on judicial branch safety and security, along with funding to cover the employer share of Minnesota Paid Leave costs. Shorba said the branch is seeking help because it did not receive funding for paid leave in the last session and is having to hold positions open to absorb the cost. The safety and security request included five parts: personal data protection for judges and court administrators, home security, two additional staff positions for threat assessment and coordination, security for the chief justice at public events, and a revived courthouse security grant program for counties. Testimony emphasized rising threats and incidents involving judges and court staff, including examples of doxing, home surveillance, and threats involving litigants, and cited increases in reported incidents, threats, and disturbances. Fritz said the branch’s current response system is stretched and that more law-enforcement-trained staff would improve coordination and response. Members questioned why the judicial branch should receive state funding for paid leave when private employers must absorb the cost, and Shorba responded that the branch was excluded from end-of-session funding decisions and that the mandate should be funded for all branches of government. Members also asked about the threat-response process and whether local law enforcement should be used more directly. Another concern raised was whether State Patrol troopers assigned to judicial security would have the training needed for criminal-code enforcement, and Shorba said the branch is discussing that issue with the State Patrol. No vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided.