Transcript Highlights:

• I want to start by thanking the members. Thank you. We always do great work through here.
• I want to thank, too, before we jump into the agenda, we have a great team that works with us on all
• And with that, we will jump into our first agenda. How about that? Sounds good. Wonderful.
• Yeah, I'll let counsel jump in if there's anything to add, but I will say we've been pushing really hard
• I'll let counsel jump in if there's anything to add, but I will say we've been pushing really hard to

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Agriculture Committee met for its first 2026 meeting and took up a full agenda of bills focused on food safety, agricultural programs, consumer transparency, and farm-related policy. Early measures included S.592 on a youth and agriculture entrepreneurship summer employment program, which was reported to finance without opposition, and S.1239E, the Food Safety and Technical Disclosure Act, which would require disclosure of certain food ingredients to the state and public and also ban three substances outright. Senator Kavanaugh described the bill as closing a loophole in federal food safety law; Senator Borrello opposed it as a state-by-state approach that could raise costs and disrupt the supply chain, while Senator O’Rourke supported it as a science-based measure with available substitutes. The bill was reported back to the board with one no vote and one without recommendation. The committee also advanced S.1783A on liquefied petroleum/propane fee disclosures, with supporters saying it would prevent consumers from being charged for improper or hidden fees and opponents arguing it should not single out state-related charges; the bill moved to the board. S.4041, creating a sanitary retail food store grant program, was reported to finance. S.4162, relating to the Fresh Connect program and local produce purchases, prompted discussion about whether state resources should instead be concentrated on the Double Up Food Bucks program; sponsors said both programs are needed and that Double Up has capacity limits, and the bill was moved to finance. Later, the committee advanced S.6286A, establishing an agricultural tax viability pilot program tied to agrivoltaics; supporters said it would address a need raised in recent hearings and work with farm groups, while Senator Borrello voted no. The final bill, S.7618 on food safety and quality date label requirements, drew debate over whether New York should act without a federal standard and whether the bill could create confusion or unintended costs, especially for dairy and other perishables. Supporters said the bill would reduce food waste and simplify the many existing date labels without forcing new labeling on those who do not already use it; members also discussed refrigeration references in the bill, and the sponsor said the language could be adjusted. The committee then adjourned and announced that future meetings will be held on the third floor in the new location.

Transcript Highlights:

• I will note that I think it was starting in 2022 this BRFSS survey started adding neglect questions.
• And so I also want to start with answering Senator Bames’ kind of question of how do you Want to start
• So we start these programs as soon as we get the referral and, um, So we start these programs as soon
• Head Start program.
• Just jump to it. We're going to jump. We're going to jump. We're going to jump.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, our operators jump through the hoops and jump through the other hoop, and we've done all that,
• So they jump through all those hoops for nothing.
• through<00:20:17.520> the Well, our operators jump through the Well, our operators jump
• other hoop, hoops and jump through the other hoop, jump<00:20:21.200> through<00:20:21.440>
• In the bill that starts on page four and runs through page six.

Bills: HB0120, HB0043, HB0128

Keywords: energy production, natural gas, industrial sovereignty, manufacturing, tax exemptions, money laundering, illegal investment, financial institutions, criminal activity, Wyoming legislation, severance tax, oil production, tax exemption, energy sector, economic impact, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Homes program that the legislature passed at the end of the 2023 session and appropriates money to jump-start
• 00:38.080> appropriates<00:00:38.760> money<00:00:39.120> to<00:00:39.440> jump-start
• <00:00:40.040> the and appropriates money to jump-start the and appropriates money to jump-start
• this bill over the weekend, and thinking about some of the ideas that we talked about in Commerce, I started

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 4223 was presented as an appropriation to implement and jump-start the Strengthening Our Homes program enacted in 2023. Rep. Elkins said the goal is to help homeowners strengthen roofs using standards promoted by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, citing other states such as Alabama as examples where hardened homes performed better in major storms. He emphasized rising homeowners insurance costs, especially for affordable apartments, older condo buildings, and seniors on fixed or limited incomes, and said the grants would help people who may not have the upfront cash to make improvements. Committee members generally supported the concept, describing it as a way to reduce storm damage and lower insurance premiums. One member highlighted that the income threshold for grant eligibility could reach a large share of Minnesota homeowners and potentially harden nearly a million homes, while another noted the program’s focus on lower-income households. A Commerce Committee discussion was referenced in which an alternative approach was raised: tax incentives, including possible sales tax relief, for materials and labor used to harden homes against hail and other weather risks. Rep. Elkins responded that labor is an important part of the cost and that many potential beneficiaries are seniors with little taxable income, making a grant program more practical than a tax-based incentive. Another member agreed the upfront cost is a major barrier and said the grant design appears thoughtful. No vote was taken; the bill was laid over for further discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• And Gage heroically jumped into the rough seas and attempt to rescue his fallen seal.
• Apologize for this if, uh, my face starts to leak. It's, it's weird for you.
• Um, went to college, uh, started to excel as far as athletics is concerned, but.
• Started um It's another one of those things I was telling you about being a bonus dad.
• All of those things can, this is a start for us.

Transcript Highlights:

• So before I jump in, Thank you.
• So I'll jump in here.
• So we're going to go ahead and jump on in for time purposes. We're going to start with some data.
• We're going to start with some data.
• Our state plan process started shortly after the board's Our state plan process started shortly after

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The meeting opened with approval of the April minutes and brief administrative updates, including notice that House Bill 5447 had passed both chambers of the General Assembly. Speakers reflected on the bill’s key provisions, which include eating-disorder working groups, an evidence-based screening requirement for school-based health centers beginning July 1, 2027, and a DSS-led feasibility process to explore an inpatient psychiatric facility for young adults ages 14 to 21. New staff introductions were also made for the Behavioral Health Advocate’s office and the TCB team. A major portion of the meeting focused on marketing and outreach for urgent crisis centers (UCCs) and the broader youth crisis continuum. Daydream Communications presented research showing low public awareness of UCCs but strong interest once families learn about them, with parents wanting specialized, compassionate care, clear expectations, insurance clarity, and bilingual support. United Way described its parallel work on a statewide crisis continuum marketing toolkit, using the SAMHSA framework of “someone to talk to, someone to respond, and somewhere safe to go,” and outlined plans to distribute consistent messaging through websites, social media, flyers, and community venues. Members emphasized coordinating with existing platforms and ensuring the marketing reflects the actual experience at UCC sites. DCF then presented on adolescent substance use services, citing data showing high need and low treatment access among Connecticut youth. The department reviewed its ASAM-based continuum, SBIRT efforts in outpatient psychiatric clinics, medication-assisted treatment access, and statewide services such as MST, MST emerging adults, STRIDE, multidimensional family therapy, youth recovery supports, and the AIM matching tool. A new young people peer support program was highlighted, with referrals accepted from families, hospitals, community providers, DCF, youth diversion, and the judicial branch. Questions addressed parent consent, peer matching, and whether the AIM tool could be linked through 211. The meeting concluded with an update from the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board and its regional boards and grant-funded initiatives. Presenters reviewed the state suicide prevention plan, regional coalition work, postvention response, lethal means safety efforts, and the 988 capacity improvement grant that supports Connecticut’s centralized 988 contact center at United Way. They also shared youth suicide risk data from the Connecticut Youth Risk Behavior Survey, noting recent declines in reported suicidal ideation and attempts, and provided resources for training and materials. No formal votes were taken beyond the approval of the April minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I just wanted to point that out before we get started, but I'll just start with some of our source
• It is girls jumping into the Tahoe, jumping into the bed of the trucks, jumping into the cabs of the
• The water has started to recede.
• or four days before the start of that session.
• What jumps out at me is the understaffing. Right. But that's not what jumps out at me.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I figure we jump in and look at Senator [laughter] if you want, we can start. >> Um, I would say
• if uh if you if you want, we can start. if uh if you if you want, we can start.
• I'll jump in here. Uh first >> Thank you. I'll jump in here.
• <00:47:21.520> uh the from the when you first start uh the from the when you first start uh
• And that's starting in 2028.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a complicated area of policy, and so I just want to make sure I start off by thanking them.
• And so I just want to make sure I start off by thanking them.
• Everyone in this working group jumped into the trenches to help thread a needle to create the solutions
• <00:08:55.240> and started and started and one<00:08:57.120> of<00:08:57.200> the
• The idea that we're going to start this at the canopy is just ridiculous. And everybody knew it.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Senate File 4401, a cannabis bill, was presented as a broad maintenance package developed through months of work with more than 80 stakeholders, including small businesses, labor, tribal representatives, medical licensees, and the Office of Cannabis Management. The author said it makes a series of technical and policy adjustments, including support for small businesses, hemp QR codes, privacy protections, event coordinator changes, clearer product definitions, investor and timeline changes, and a bridge for hemp businesses to enter cannabis. It also addresses medical cannabis access by renaming medical combination licenses as macro licenses, eliminating the grow-and-sale ratio, correcting canopy estimates, requiring key products to be stocked, and creating a first step toward a medical psilocybin program with a report and federal funding directive. Representative West supported the bill overall but criticized the canopy reduction for medical combination licenses, arguing it changes the rules midstream and could lead to litigation and taxpayer costs. He said the bill helps social equity applicants by allowing more outside investment and described the hemp provisions as a way to save that industry. The author responded that the bill right-sizes a temporary system and reflects stakeholder agreement on needed changes. After discussion, the author again urged a green vote and thanked staff and prior cannabis workers for their help. There were no amendments at the desk, the bill was given a third reading, and the House passed Senate File 4401 by a vote of 92 ayes to 42 nays, with the title agreed to.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, House Bill 4128 extends the Oklahoma bear hunting season, two weeks prior to where it starts now
• Years when there are droughts or dry conditions or acorn time started dropping yet, the bears are very
• Did we see a significant jump in harvest when they moved theirs up?
• Jumps back in. See what I'm saying? So Kentucky was the closest I could find to our scenario.
• Jumps back in. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This would be for the wildlife department.

Bills: HB4128, HB3659, HB3270, HB3145

Keywords: wildlife conservation, hunting regulations, mountain lions, black bears, archery season, senior citizens, licensing fees, waterfowl, nonresidents, public lands, farmed cervidae, chronic wasting disease, genetic resistance, wildlife management, agriculture, wildlife tagging, Cervidae family, feral swine, exotic wildlife, conservation

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I also want to start with answering Senator Bame's kind of question of how do you Want to start
• So we start these programs as soon as we get the referral, and So we start these programs as soon as
• So here we see Early Head Start.
• Just jump to it. We're going to jump. We're going to jump. We're going to jump.
• And it started long before AI was in the system, because critical thought kind of really started with

Summary: The committee first approved the December 16 minutes and then heard a presentation from Dr. Ramona Danielson on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their economic and public-system impacts. She explained that ACEs are population-level risk indicators, not individual diagnostic tools, and said higher ACE exposure is associated with more chronic illness, mental health challenges, child welfare and justice involvement, and lower workforce participation. She cautioned that precise dollar estimates are difficult because of the many interacting factors across the life course, but said the direction of the impact is clear and that evidence-based interventions and protective factors can reduce harm. Members asked about definitions of a “healthy family,” same-sex couples, divorce, substance abuse, trends in ACEs, and home visiting; she emphasized supportive relationships, protective factors, and the importance of positive childhood experiences. The committee then heard from Allison Mahoney and Missy Barranco, along with a recorded family story from Abby, about evidence-based home visiting programs in North Dakota. Abby described how Healthy Families North Dakota supported her family after a premature birth and NICU stay by providing weekly in-home coaching, developmental screenings, postpartum mental health check-ins, referrals, and parenting support. The presenters explained that home visiting is voluntary, relationship-based, and usually begins prenatally or shortly after birth, with referrals coming from hospitals, WIC, pregnancy navigators, human service zones, self-referrals, and other community partners. They said North Dakota currently has four main evidence-based models operating through 12 organizations, with Healthy Families available in all 53 counties, though only a fraction of eligible families are served. Funding was described as a patchwork of federal MIECHV/Title IV-E, Medicaid, state and tribal funds, philanthropy, charitable gaming, and other grants; members discussed whether the Legislature or agencies should expand support and how to improve outreach and sustainability. Finally, the committee received a memorandum on artificial intelligence and sexual exploitation, focusing on AI-generated child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, sextortion, and chatbot-related risks. The report summarized federal and state law, including North Dakota’s existing computer-generated image provisions, the federal PROTECT Act, the Take It Down Act, and recent federal executive orders on AI policy. Members discussed the need for child-safety protections, the limits of executive orders, and broader concerns about AI’s effect on critical thinking and misinformation. The committee then heard from BCI Special Agent Cassidy Halsef, who said AI is already driving a sharp rise in child exploitation cases in North Dakota, including AI-generated explicit images of real minors and school-based incidents involving mass-shared manipulated images. She said investigators are seeing more cyber tips, more difficult forensic work, and lasting harm to victims and families, and urged stronger legal penalties, specialized training, victim services, and prevention education in schools and communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll start with Bill is in front of us.
• ,<00:20:20.160> and provide that fresh start, and provide that fresh start, and unfortunately
• with the father, and the student jumped with the father, and the student jumped in<00:24:23.080>
• before the start of this session. Right? before the start of this session. Right?
• . start. start.

Bills: HF3493, HF4114

Keywords: safe schools, charter schools, nonpublic schools, Tribal education, funding increase, special education, funding, education finance, appropriations, budget, cross subsidy

Transcript Highlights:

• what we're going to start doing today. what we're going to start doing today.
• committee before we get started? committee before we get started?
• Please feel free to jump in committee? Please feel free to jump in anytime.<01:23:34.960> Yes.
• starting year one.
• We jumped ahead to up this topic.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've started that process.
• We have started the process. We're in the right direction. That's good here.
• We have a number of providers that have started providing that service.
• This meeting is just a jumping-off point.
• This meeting is just a jumping off point. tentatively in August. just a jumping off point.

Summary: The House Health Services Subcommittee met to approve the October 7, 2024 minutes and then shifted to behavioral health as the main topic. Representatives Woodridge and Vaught described the work of the behavioral health working group, saying Arkansas needs a more proactive system that improves access, reduces red tape, and focuses on a few achievable policy changes for the 2027 session rather than many bills. Members discussed barriers such as low reimbursement, workforce shortages, licensing and credentialing hurdles, rural access problems, and the need to better use community providers, compacts, and step-down services. Director Paula Stone of DHS’s Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health gave a detailed overview of the behavioral health system. She said Medicaid pays for more than 75% of behavioral health services in Arkansas and explained that when people are jailed or admitted to the state hospital, Medicaid generally stops, leaving state general revenue to cover care. She described current efforts including family-centered treatment for children, community reintegration group homes, a new adolescent substance use disorder residential unit, expanded community mental health center contracts, a secured restoration unit to reduce state hospital backlogs, and an IMD waiver to allow Medicaid payment for certain residential services. She also said DHS is working on crisis services, forensic evaluations, and provider rebidding in areas previously served by ERISA. Members asked about reimbursement for jail services, the lack of a statewide behavioral health dashboard, civil commitment options, crisis stabilization units, and whether Arkansas should expand step-down or long-term facilities for people who cannot safely return to the community. Stone said the state hospital backlog remains significant, average stays are still about 14 months, and crisis stabilization units have had mixed success, with Fort Smith and Jonesboro performing better than Fayetteville and Little Rock. The meeting ended with a commitment to continue the work, with more substantive discussion planned for August.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it starting? Yeah, never mind.
• So, Steve, would you like to start off? Sure thing. Thanks, everybody.
• Around that time, I actually started working for Treasury.
• I'm going to jump in and reiterate what Chair Garlick said.
• I'll just jump in here to add...

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Disability Employment Subcommittee of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities met and began with roll call, but did not have a quorum, so approval of prior minutes and an inspirational quote were tabled. A planned presentation from a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employee was canceled shortly before the meeting, and the agenda shifted to an informal discussion with two Treasury employees, Steve Kroder and Bill Collievis, about veterans with disabilities in the workplace. Kroder and Collievis described barriers veterans face, including stigma, employer misunderstanding, the need for frequent medical appointments, invisible disabilities such as PTSD and other service-connected conditions, and challenges for Guard and Reserve members balancing service with civilian work. They also discussed supportive practices in public employment, the need for better outreach to employers, the role of local veterans service officers, Military OneSource, TAP, and the importance of helping veterans navigate benefits and transition services. Commission members responded by emphasizing education, employer outreach, and possible resource-sharing through the commission’s website and toolkit. The committee then heard a presentation from Commonwealth Corporation on its Young Adults with Disabilities employment grant program. Staff explained the program’s funding, eligibility, training and placement model, and data from the prior cycle, including participant demographics, completion rates, credential attainment, employment outcomes, and wages. Members discussed benefits counseling, underemployment definitions, stigma around addiction as a disability category, and the need to connect grantees and participants with work incentives and benefits information. Commonwealth Corporation said grantees now receive training on benefits impacts and that the agency is open to further partnership. The meeting ended with a brief update on a planned commission event focused on youth and young adults with disabilities, inclusive workplaces, PCAs, and job coaches. Organizers said they were still securing a venue and were considering a hybrid or virtual format, with participation from youth organizations, the PCA Council, and the Arc of Massachusetts. The subcommittee then voted to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• And she, so she started as a page.
• Let's see any other guests today before we jump in.
• we jump in. we jump in.
• Let's start there. Uh, Chair of Finance. Thank you, Mr. President.
• Let's start committee work happening.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Thursday, March 26, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Maryland Senate convened with 39 members present and a quorum. The session opened with an invocation by Bishop Antonio Palmer of Kingdom Celebration Center, whose remarks were journalized. The President and members also welcomed several guests to the chamber, including former Delegate Sean Terrence, students from Charles H. Flowers High School and Garrison Forest School, Dr. Lee Snyder as doctor of the day, and Dr. Barbara Ann Palmer in recognition of Women’s History Month. The President also noted that the next day would be pro forma and that some scheduled items would be moved to the following week. The Senate considered Executive Nominations Report No. 6, covering gubernatorial nominees for boards and commissions including the State Board of Education, MEDCO, and the University System of Maryland Board of Regents. On motion of the committee chair, the report was special ordered to Tuesday, with members asked to review the list for recusals or related issues. The chamber then took up Senate Bill 890, which concerns an insurance premium receipts tax exemption for captive insurance procured by nonprofit hospitals and health care systems. On SB 890, the Senate adopted the committee amendments and then adopted a floor amendment offered by the bill sponsor. The amendment was described as replacing the bill’s earlier approach with a two-year moratorium on collection of any related liabilities, followed by a Maryland Insurance Administration report back on ongoing investigations. One senator raised concern that the amendment’s language could require the state to refund taxes already paid by hospitals and others, potentially costing millions, and asked for more time to review it; the motion to special order the bill was defeated. After discussion, the amendment was adopted and the bill was ordered printed for third reading. At the close of the floor session, committee and delegation announcements were made, including Finance, Triple E, Judicial Proceedings, Budget and Tax, Executive Nominations, and several county delegations. A senator from District 6 also spoke about the anniversary of the Key Bridge collapse and thanked colleagues for bipartisan work on related legislation and recovery efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then I want to jump over to Representative Gottlieb and Representative Rainer.
• What's the hold-up in starting the project at this point? Thank you, Chair. You're recognized.
• I'll start by noting some of the systems that we use to gather case activity.
• So, jumping right in, I'm looking at the So, jumping right in, I'm looking at the case trends, and what
• So jumping right in.

Summary: The committee first heard an update from the Florida Department of Corrections on the proposed Lake Correctional Institution mental health project in Clermont. Tim Fitzgerald explained the project’s history, including the 2016 Disability Rights Florida litigation, the 2018 consent decree, and the original plan for a 550-bed inpatient mental health facility. He said inflation and design changes pushed the project above the bond amount, leading the department to shift to a “continuum of care” alternative with 572 beds total: 92 inpatient beds and 480 residential treatment beds in three special housing units. Fitzgerald said the project is currently paused pending House concurrence, while the Senate has already agreed to the alternate plan, and noted the bond balance, prior expenditures, and the need to spend down the tax-exempt bond by August 2026. Members questioned how the new plan differs from the original facility, whether it satisfies the consent decree, and what caused the cost increases. Fitzgerald said the department believes it has already met the consent decree through systemwide improvements to housing, staffing, programming, and out-of-cell time, though he said he would confirm the court documentation. He also said the original scope grew from 275,000 to 350,000 square feet as treatment, nursing, security, and programming needs were refined, and that inflation, fees, permitting, and contingencies contributed to the higher cost. Several members asked for follow-up information on Senate approval, consent decree documentation, and the project’s impact on crisis-stabilization capacity. The committee then received a joint court-system presentation from State Courts Administrator Eric McClure and Clerks Corporation Executive Director Jason Welty on caseload trends, case tracking, and staffing. McClure described statewide filing trends, the use of weighted caseload studies to certify judicial need, and recent Supreme Court rule changes aimed at active civil case management, including differentiated case tracks, stricter deadlines, and proportional discovery. He said the latest workload study led the Supreme Court to certify a need for 23 circuit judges and 25 county judges. Welty reviewed clerk workload trends, the statewide case maintenance and CCIS systems, and declining clerk FTE despite rising case volumes, and said clerks are seeking additional funding for injunctions, Baker Act/Marchman Act/sexually violent predator work, and juror management. In questions, members pressed both presenters on data quality, case-weight calculations, filing fees, and whether current resources are enough to reduce delays. McClure clarified that the workload weights are based on judge time studies and that a capital murder case averaged 3,177 minutes, while other examples such as auto negligence and dissolution cases were much lower. Welty said the Legislature could help by increasing funding or potentially revisiting filing fees, and noted that many clerk services are unfunded or underfunded, especially indigent and protective filings. The chair and members also raised concerns about backlog, inconsistent case reporting across circuits, and enforcement of judicial time standards; McClure said there is no direct sanction in the rules, and compliance is largely managed through chief judges and the Supreme Court. The meeting ended with no votes taken and adjournment by motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Say if it's a one-year program, they'll have a starting wage.
• This program starts with a pre-apprenticeship.
• But we wanted to go ahead and start with Melissa.
• So Lisa, we know that you're starting up a program.
• Jump in. I know we're sick of me already. I'm sorry. Not at all.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Workforce Support Subcommittee met to discuss using registered apprenticeships to help address workforce shortages in disability services, human services, and other high-need fields. Co-chairs and staff introduced the session as a follow-up to earlier discussions with state labor officials and representatives from developmental disability and behavioral health provider associations. The panel focused on how apprenticeships can create paid, structured pathways into jobs while also supporting credentialing and retention. Amara Ramon of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards explained how Massachusetts apprenticeship programs are registered and supported, including the roles of apprenticeship liaison staff, operations, quality assurance, and grant support. She described the core features of apprenticeships—paid on-the-job training, related technical instruction, wage progression, and industry credentials—and contrasted them with internships or co-ops. Melissa Chabelli of the MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board described the intermediary role her board plays in designing programs, registering apprentices, coordinating employers, and handling compliance. She emphasized flexibility, employer investment, tax credits, retention benefits, and the importance of mentors and local workforce partnerships. Lisa Morris of UMass Chan/For Health Consulting described a developing apprenticeship for medical interpreters, built from an existing training foundation and designed to address the gap between classroom preparation and work experience. She said the model would combine pre-apprenticeship training, employer interviews, 2,000 hours of apprenticeship, and related technical instruction tied to national certification. Speakers also discussed examples for nursing, early childhood education, CNC machining, and programs serving neurodivergent learners, including Bridgewater State’s Excel program. In response to audience questions, panelists said state agencies can serve as intermediaries, recruitment can come through career centers, youth programs, community colleges, ESL centers, and incumbent workers, and accommodations or modified curricula can support apprentices with disabilities. No votes were taken; the session ended with encouragement for attendees to contact the presenters and Division of Apprenticeship Standards for help developing programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I had a pretty good idea of what to expect when I jumped under this side.
• We start to look at whether or not there are some areas of agreement. I view this as triage.
• In other words, we start to look at whether or not there are some areas of agreement.
• I love how once you start to compress it, you get down to the real nitty-gritty.
• Some of that infrastructure has been in the ground 60, 70 years, and it's starting to fail.

Summary: The joint committee met with a quorum present and first received an overview of its jurisdiction and duties related to appointing the Florida Public Counsel. Staff explained the committee’s authority under joint rules and state law, noted that the current Public Counsel’s term expires February 28, 2025, and that applications for the next four-year term were open with a February 6, 2025 deadline. The committee then heard an extensive update from Public Counsel Walt Truerweiler on the Office of Public Counsel’s work representing utility ratepayers before the Public Service Commission and in appeals. Truerweiler described the office’s caseload and priorities, including electric, gas, water, and wastewater rate cases; storm recovery dockets; cost-recovery clauses; rulemakings; and customer service hearings. He emphasized that the office seeks to challenge unsupported or imprudent costs, find value for customers, and use expert analysis and customer testimony to shape outcomes. He highlighted recent and ongoing matters, including major Duke, TECO, Sunshine water/wastewater, and hurricane recovery proceedings, and said the office had fully litigated four of its last five rate cases, while also achieving a major settlement in Duke that reduced a requested increase and imposed cost controls on solar projects. Members praised the office’s work and asked about the benefits of settlements, staffing and compensation, and how the office decides when to fully intervene versus provide guidance or monitor a case. Truerweiler said settlements can create predictability, reduce uncertainty and expense, and produce tangible value for both customers and utilities. He also acknowledged recruitment challenges, including lower pay than comparable agencies and difficulty attracting attorneys who do not want in-person litigation work. The committee took no substantive action beyond receiving the presentations, and adjourned after a motion was adopted.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, is it a big jump? And is it a big jump? Is it the same? I mean, so, Mr.
• Let's just jump ahead to the 10:15, and then we will start discussing things. Okay. Thank you, Mr.
• So all it is is a starting point. Sure. The process. So all it is is a starting point.
• Carla, once start it off. Bruce is looking at Carla, so I presume she's going to start talking.
• So Carla, if you could please start.

Keywords: 908, all