Transcript Highlights:

• I got the ventilator in two weeks, completely paid for.
• Now, if the individual is arrested, it is a completely different ball game.
• It's a Pharm.D. doctoral pharmacy degree. That's not what I have.
• I have both degrees.
• I graduated from the University of Arizona in 1995 with my pharmacy degree and in 2013 with my law degree

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2433, which would require insurers offering Medicare supplement policies to people 65 and older to also offer them to Medicare beneficiaries under 65 with ALS or end-stage renal disease, with enrollment periods and premium protections tied to 65-year-old rates. Supporters, including dialysis and ALS advocates, said the bill would help a small population facing high out-of-pocket costs and could improve access to transplants and care; opponents argued it would shift costs onto older seniors and raise Medigap premiums. The committee recommended the bill do pass on a 12-0 vote. The committee also heard House Bill 2593, appropriating $1.5 million to the University of Arizona for the Arizona Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line. The sponsor and physicians testified that the line helps obstetric and pediatric providers quickly consult on perinatal depression, postpartum psychosis, suicidality, and other mental health crises, improving outcomes for mothers, children, and families and reducing costly emergency and crisis care. The bill received a do pass recommendation on a 10-1 vote. House Concurrent Resolution 2013, proclaiming June 2026 as Celebrate Life Month, drew emotional testimony from a young woman with spina bifida and another speaker supporting the sanctity of life. Some members objected that the state should focus on practical supports such as paid leave, child care, and health care access, while others supported the resolution as a statement of human dignity. The resolution passed the committee 7-5. The committee then approved House Bill 4010, creating a Board of Genetic Counselors and licensure standards, after testimony from genetic counselors and a patient advocate about the need for qualified counseling and better access; it passed 11-1. Later, the committee approved House Bill 2196, which would require pharmacy benefit managers to reimburse non-affiliated pharmacies at least their acquisition cost and pay a dispensing fee, and establish an appeals process. Independent pharmacists and their coalition said PBM practices are driving closures and unfairly favor affiliated pharmacies, while PBM and employer representatives warned of major cost increases and said the bill would interfere with private contracts; the bill passed 11-1. The committee also adopted a strike-everything amendment to House Bill 2182 requiring insurers and health plans to report claims denial and prior authorization data to DIFI, and then gave the amended bill a 12-0 do pass recommendation. Finally, the committee approved House Bill 2189, directing the Board of Nursing to update rules for licensed health aides and collect annual data, with the sponsor and board staff saying it would help implement routine ventilator care in the home; it passed 12-0. The committee then began hearing House Bill 2404, a strike-everything amendment on inter-facility transports for behavioral health patients, but the transcript cuts off before action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in a survey of Washington cities and counties that we completed for this study, we heard that there
• All right, so in terms of next steps, as Rachel mentioned earlier, we are going to be completing our
• And the city completed a downtown chip seal project with a budget of $343,000, and the Transportation
• There's variation in the actual type and degree of risk based on different program types.
• Are our policies complete? Have our staff been trained properly? Have partners been engaged?

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They must successfully complete a comprehensive hands-on examination, which requires all licensees to
• Additionally, they require fingerprints and completed background and record checks from the Ohio Board
• I did complete the six-month intensive course with a comprehensive certification process, and I felt
• I completed, after college, four years of medical school, a year of internal medicine training, three
• Giorgio alluded to, I similarly completed undergraduate education, medical school training, and then

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened a hearing of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure focused on health care and human services, reviewed testimony logistics, and then heard a long series of witnesses on several bills. Much of the testimony centered on interstate licensure compacts for dentistry, social work, and occupational therapy, with supporters arguing these compacts would improve workforce mobility, continuity of care, and access while preserving state oversight and public protection. Dental witnesses were split on H.455/S.257, with supporters backing the AADB dental compact for its hands-on exam, background checks, and disciplinary safeguards, while opponents argued a competing compact would better promote portability and avoid conflicts tied to proprietary testing and outside commissions. Social work witnesses strongly supported H.380/S.252, emphasizing continuity of care for clients who move across state lines, reduced costs and delays for practitioners, and the compact’s public-protection features; occupational therapy witnesses similarly supported H.427/S.256, citing access, telehealth, military families, and maintained standards. The committee also heard testimony on S.242, which would expand licensure for lactation care providers. Supporters, including lactation counselors and health center staff, said adding certified lactation counselors and related credentials would expand access, improve breastfeeding support, and allow reimbursement for services now often provided without billing. They described the training required and said the bill would help families, especially in underserved communities. Representative James O’Day also testified in support of the social work compact, and a Council of State Governments witness provided background on compact mechanics and state participation. Another major topic was H.419/S.214 on medical debt. Physicians and researchers testified that cancer patients experience long-lasting medical debt and collections burdens, and they supported limits on the sale and collection of medical debt, bans on reporting it to credit bureaus, and related consumer protections. The hearing also included H.465 on a pathway to special licensure for certain long-term limited-registration dentists serving MassHealth patients, which Representative Senna supported as a way to allow immigrant dentists to practice independently. Finally, the committee heard sharply divided testimony on H.444/S.284, which would allow trained dental hygienists to administer Botox and dermal fillers: supporters framed it as a safe, preventive, and access-expanding tool for TMJ, bruxism, and pain management, while dermatologists opposed it as outside hygienists’ training and a patient-safety risk. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I'll completion of this project.
• <00:02:46.720> It's now approximately 98% complete. It's now approximately 98% complete.
• All the approximately 80% complete.
• There's equipment is about 75% complete.
• this project in to completion. this project in to completion.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you wish to give testimony, please fill out a witness card completely. I completely sign it in.
• I got my paralegal certificate, associate degree, and a bachelor's degree in paralegal studies.
• The court that affects people's liberty at a degree that's unbelievable.
• It changes the outcome of a completed election. Thank you.
• It changes the outcome of a completed election.

Bills: SB256

Keywords: court consolidation, judicial administrative, Orleans Parish, civil district court, criminal district court, court clerk, judicial funding, 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They have not earned a baccalaureate degree.
• completion. appropriation for the Northstar promise appropriation for the Northstar promise program<
• <00:10:51.320> a College in the state who completed a College in the state who completed a
• they're not in student loan degree they're not in student loan default<00:11:05.200> or<00:11
• of their certificate or diploma or degree.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We are the first program that incentivized... ...it happens to varying degrees.
• And when it's complete, we'll continue with our agenda.
• And consent approach to privacy, which we all know is completely ineffective.
• So the 8,100 miles will be completed. That will be completed.
• We only pay those costs when those segments are complete and we take receipt.

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations on several GovOps-related budget proposals, beginning with ongoing funding for the California Education Learning Lab. The Learning Lab described its intersegmental grants to UC, CSU, and community college faculty, including AI-related work and a math alignment project, and said the Governor’s proposal would move the program’s home agency to GovOps and restore $4 million annually. The Department of Finance supported the proposal as a way to improve coordination, while the LAO recommended rejecting it, arguing the projects are hard to scale, similar professional development already exists in the segments, and the state should consider saving General Fund dollars. Senators split on the value of the program, with some emphasizing innovation and intersegmental collaboration and others questioning its measurable long-term impact; the item was held open. The committee then reviewed the Office of Civil Rights proposal to implement AB 715 and SB 48 with $3.5 million in 2026-27 and $2.8 million ongoing. GovOps said the office had been set up administratively, positions were being recruited, and it would provide training, technical assistance, and complaint review related to anti-Semitism and other discrimination in TK-12 schools. The LAO had no concerns, but senators raised substantial questions about the office’s placement in GovOps, the lack of guidance while the laws are being implemented, the use of gubernatorial appointees, and whether the staffing structure matches the likely workload across different discrimination categories. GovOps said it would develop guidance, coordinate with CDE, and shift resources as needed once staff are hired, but several members said they were not prepared to support the item as presented; it was also held open. After public comment supporting the California Education Interagency Council, the subcommittee approved vote-only items 11 through 17 and 6 through 10. It then heard from the Office of Data and Innovation on a request for five positions and $1.25 million in reimbursement authority to expand digital service delivery work. ODI described projects such as reducing unauthorized EBT theft and forecasting community water system outages, and said it uses guardrails and contracts to protect sensitive data when working with vendor AI services. The LAO had no concerns, and members generally praised ODI’s small, high-impact role; the item was held open. Finally, the Department of Technology presented on the Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative, reporting that 423 miles are complete, more than 70% of the network has been permitted, and about 5,300 miles are expected to be completed by December 2026, with some work potentially slipping into 2027. CDT said Skyline Technology Solutions had been selected to operate the network and that the third-party administrator, Golden State Net, would continue to support development and later help oversee operations and sales. The LAO noted the project’s progress but raised concerns about the novel three-party structure, accountability, and long-term financial sustainability. Senators questioned the legal basis for the operator arrangement, the revenue outlook, reporting to the Legislature, and whether the network will be self-sustaining; CDT said it expects revenues to cover operations over time and will continue annual and quarterly reporting. The item was left open.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:12:42.720> of as a key component to the completion of as a key component to the completion
• Over 500 temporary units were built, with another 583 set to be completed in 2025.
• Our fire and police departments have completed after-action reports.
• ke, for example, and a number of other areas look completely different than they did before.
• Road that the prior administration was trying to complete is about $25 million.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He asked about the options the jury had in the Othel Wallace case, including first-degree murder of a
• Wallace had been found guilty of the second option of first-degree murder.
• What if they had... ...completely out of the realm of possibility that something like this could happen
• And most of us know first-degree felony, second, third, first-degree misdemeanor, second-degree misdemeanor
• murder, then second, then second with an enhancement, By indictment, then first-degree murder, then

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions recognizing guests and visiting groups, including the Challenger Learning Center, the Florida Dental Hygienists Association, school students, and other local officials and organizations. Members also offered remarks about President Allbritton’s recovery and upcoming events, including State of Black Florida Week and a future executive appointments calendar. The main floor debate centered on Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 156, which revises criminal penalties involving law enforcement officers. The bill clarifies that resistance to an officer with violence is not justified when the officer is performing official duties, removes language stating an officer is not justified in using force if the arrest or duty is unlawful and known to be unlawful, and adds mandatory life imprisonment for manslaughter of a law enforcement officer. Senators offered competing views: supporters said the bill corrects a verdict-form and charging problem exposed in the Officer Jason Rainer case and honors his family, while opponents argued it removes civilian protections, expands police authority, and imposes disproportionate mandatory sentencing. Two amendments were offered and withdrawn, and the bill passed 31-4. The Senate then passed a series of bills, mostly on public records and regulatory topics. SB 168 expanded public nuisance law to include gambling establishments and increased penalties; SB 288 narrowed statutory ambiguity affecting rural electric cooperatives; SB 292 and SB 298 created or extended public-records protections for appellate court clerks and victims of dating violence in the Address Confidentiality Program; SB 296 created the HAVEN initiative to study a secure alert system for domestic violence victims and expanded confidentiality protections; SB 364 modernized CPA licensure pathways; SB 386 created protections for farm equipment purchasers; and several Open Government Sunset Review bills preserved exemptions for emergency shelter information, Department of Military Affairs records, conviction integrity unit records, Public Service Commission and Gaming Commission proceedings, Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles investigatory records, social media platform investigations, and certain economic development loan-program financial records. Most of these bills passed with little or no opposition, and the Senate waived rules so all bills passed that day could be immediately certified to the House.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are they done completely independent of each other? Or are they? Are they simultaneous?
• Valid is the local value within a statistical degree of certainty of the market value.
• We do have a complete data set. Yeah.
• Oh sorry that's I don't know if the sentence is totally complete so.
• That happens later in the tax year by a completely. Different set of people.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Anyone wishing to speak before the committee, please complete an appearance form and hand it to a member
• And you're lucky you're here this week and not last week because it was 23 degrees last week. ...Tallahassee
• , and you're lucky you're here this week and not last week because it was 23 degrees last week.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education Postsecondary met briefly, confirmed that a quorum was present, and welcomed visiting students from the College of Central Florida and other counties. The committee then took up confirmation hearings for appointments on Tabs 1 through 4, with Senator Simon moving to recommend confirmation of all appointees and the motion seconded. The roll call vote was favorable, and the appointees were reported favorably. After the vote, members offered remarks thanking committee staff for their work and praising Florida’s higher education system, state colleges, and universities. Chair Calatayud noted this was the committee’s final meeting and encouraged the visiting students to stay engaged in advocacy and public service. Senator Harrell also commended the committee’s policy work and funding support for higher education. With no further business, Senator Simon moved to adjourn. There was no objection, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• She grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma, received her bachelor's degree in psychology from OSU.
• She received a doctorate degree in clinical child psychology from the University of Alabama and completed
• the present juncture by the nature of objections which have been urged against the system or by the degree

Bills: SB683, SB1579, SB1389, SB1387, SB1390, SB1391, SB2063, SB1829, SB2060, SB1842, SB1398, SB1212, SB2158, SB102, SB1772, SB1958, SB2010, SB1595, SB1687, SB1684, SB2049, SB1966, SB1989, SB1191, SB1258, SB1920, SB1936, SB2143, SB2122, SB330, SB2071, SB2169, SB2069, SB2095, SB2157, SB1806, SB1430, SB206, SB1547, SB1849, SB1428, SB1653, SB1984, SB1644, SB1561, SB1813, SB1570, SB1796

Keywords: education, tax credit, student support, private school, Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit, financial assistance, homeschooling, qualified expenses, property tax, valuation increase, taxpayer rights, homestead, protest process, school choice, tuition assistance, income limits, parental choice, accreditation, sales tax, motor vehicles

Transcript Highlights:

• :34.319> are Containment here and to what degree are Containment here and to what degree are we
• Gander thanks Mr chair um to what degree Gander thanks Mr chair um to what degree do<00:51:43.000
• I always caveat that this data is not a complete statewide look.
• I always caveat that this data is not a complete statewide look.
• I always caveat that this data is not a complete statewide look.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It happens to varying degrees.
• And when it's complete, we'll continue with our agenda.
• be completed in 2026?
• be completed in 2026?
• The 8,100 miles will be completed. We do expect some miles to slip into 2027.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• who's from Phoenix, Arizona, and attended the University of Arizona, where she earned a bachelor's degree
• After completing the biomedical sciences master's program at Midwestern University, she attended medical
• in 1987 and an LLM degree in 1989, both summa cum laude, and a JSD degree after receiving a Colton Fellowship
• That is completely irresponsible. And that is why the Republicans have stepped forward.
• Do we want them to have a complete lack of faith in the forms that are put out?

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How long would it take to get a project like this completed if you had the funding to start today?
• After obtaining my business degree and working in Fort Worth for several years, I decided to move back
• They must plead guilty or no contest in court and must request to complete a hunter...
• Plead guilty or no contest in court and must request to complete a hunter education course.
• The hunter has 180 days to complete the course; if completed and the other criteria are met, the charges

Summary: The committee met with limited attendance at first, then took up a series of water, agriculture, and rural affairs measures. HB 3898 would allow the Texas Water Development Board to provide financial assistance for brackish water desalination projects in certain border counties and related nonprofit suppliers even if the projects are not in the state water plan. Supporters said it is needed to address severe water shortages in places like Webb County and to support future planning; opponents, including the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts, argued it bypasses the regional and state water planning process. The bill was left pending after testimony. The committee also heard HB 5339, which would create a higher-education grant program for regenerative agriculture research. A rancher testified that regenerative methods improved soil health, water retention, and farm viability, while a senator noted existing university research but said better coordination could help. Public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. Members then heard HB 1523, a temporary prohibition on TCEQ issuing Austin a Class 5 injection well permit for an aquifer storage and recovery project in Bastrop and Lee counties until December 2027. Local officials from Bastrop supported the pause, citing unanswered questions about water treatment, recovery rates, and impacts on the aquifer, while Austin Water opposed the substitute, saying the project is central to its long-term water plan and that stakeholder talks were already underway. TCEQ explained its ASR permitting process and said public participation is possible but not always used in the current authorization process. The bill was left pending. HB 5659, concerning the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and requiring majority city-council approval before certain water sales or interbasin transfers, drew testimony from district officials who said the change could interfere with existing contracts and district authority, but the chair emphasized the need for local buy-in and said the stakeholders had reached a workable compromise; testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 1690, which would expand notice requirements for groundwater export permits so neighboring landowners and potentially affected aquifer areas are informed by certified mail and publication. The sponsor tied the bill to impacts from the Vista Ridge project, and no one testified against it; it was left pending. HB 3333 would prohibit TCEQ from issuing new wastewater discharge permits directly into the Devils River in Val Verde County. The sponsor and a conservation witness said the bill protects one of Texas’s most pristine rivers and reflects a local stakeholder agreement, while TCEQ said it can ensure water quality but acknowledged the river’s unique sensitivity; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HCR 108 urging continuation of the U.S.-Mexico tomato suspension agreement, with supporters warning of major Texas job and consumer-price impacts if it ends, and HCR 76 urging federal action on imported shrimp, citing public health and industry concerns; both were left pending. Additional measures heard and left pending included HB 4158 on compensation for Texana Groundwater Conservation District directors, HB 654 creating a dismissal path for certain first-time deer hunting violations after self-reporting and hunter education, HB 4530 requiring Texas Water Development Board review of groundwater rights placed in the Texas Water Trust, HB 2128 directing a study of rural versus urban firefighting and rescue disparities, and HB 278 requiring groundwater districts and management areas to track progress toward desired future conditions over shorter intervals. On HB 278, witnesses split over whether the bill’s interim tracking would improve accountability or create new triggers that could be used against local districts, but no final vote was taken and the bill was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• While I am so grateful to be able to say that she is here and in this room with us today, we were completely
• I serve on the board of the Texas Wine and Grape Grower Association, and I'm pursuing a master's degree
• that ensures... at the type of lawsuits when you're dealing with mishandling of the body to that degree
• To become a licensed funeral director, you have to get a mortuary science degree.
• You've gone to school, completed the curriculum, passed a state law exam, and a national board exam.

Bills: HB223

Keywords: municipal budget, county budget, local government finance, spending cap, expenditure limit, inflation plus population growth, taxpayer impact statement, budget transparency, property tax, fees, Legislative Budget Board, voter approval, disaster spending, fiscal restraint, Texas Local Government Code, city budget, county expenditures, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, those students are the most at risk of not completing high school in that moment, so that's
• Technical education across the state, including increasing the number of what we call CTE completers.
• . degree program.
• say Santa Rosa, they're using one of their educator fellows and they're working on a social work Degree
• Obviously, completion of those programs, whether or not when they finish those programs, those teachers

Transcript Highlights:

• And anyone wishing to speak for the committee should complete an appearance form and hand it to a member
• It makes it a first-degree misdemeanor for a person who uses a false document with the intent to detain
• And then also it makes it a first-degree felony if the person knowingly advertises the sale or rent of
• Completely protected speech would be, for example, political speech.
• However, this legislature also passed Florida statutes that make it a third-degree felony for a person

Summary: The Judiciary Committee met with a quorum present and Senator Thompson excused. The committee first considered Senate Bill 48 by Senator Garcia on judicial sales and procedures. Garcia explained a delete-all amendment that would create clearer statewide procedures for alternative judicial sales, increase transparency, remove bidding credits, extend sale timelines, and add oversight for auctioneers and escrow agents to prevent fraud and collusion. After no questions or opposition, the amendment was adopted, Senator Pasadoma said the rewrite addressed many of his concerns, and the committee then voted CS for SB 48 favorably with unanimous yes votes from members present. The committee then received a presentation from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office on the effectiveness of Florida’s recent anti-squatting law, House Bill 621/SB 888. Presenters described several cases in which deputies used the new process to remove unlawful occupants, including a false landlord report, a long-term fake lease situation, and a more recent unlawful occupancy case. They said the law has helped protect property owners and potential victims, but suggested technical changes: clearer authorization for deputies to enter and use force if needed, and a fix to the affidavit penalty provision because false statements are currently being charged as false reports rather than perjury under the existing wording. The Florida Bar also presented on its role in regulating lawyers, lawyer advertising, and the unlicensed practice of law. Bar leaders explained that the Bar operates under the Florida Supreme Court’s authority, is funded by member fees, and handles complaints through a multi-step process involving intake, branch offices, grievance committees, referees, and final Supreme Court review. They described advertising review procedures, discipline statistics, consumer assistance, the Clients’ Security Fund, and enforcement against unlicensed practice. Senators asked about the Legislature’s authority over lawyer advertising, the prevalence of legal ads, the role of public members on grievance committees, and how those members are selected and used.

Transcript Highlights:

• than social work or an associates degree than social work or an associates degree in<00:07:32.680
• I have an engineering degree. I did graduate work at Oklahoma State University.
• And again, requirements of educational—the bachelor's degree requirement is a broad one, right?
• You can have a bachelor's degree in another practice to get an LSWA.
• This is completely separate from the compact.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee hearing focused on House Bill 271, which would remove the exam requirement for licensure as a Licensed Social Work Associate (LSWA). The chair and several members expressed reservations about repealing a requirement that was only created in 2021, arguing that licensure should include some measurable demonstration of competency and that it is too early to judge whether the current standard is working. Members also raised concerns about the social work compact and the lack of uniformity across states, saying that changing the requirement now could undermine the standards New Hampshire agreed to at the outset. Testimony in support of the bill argued that the LSWA exam is a barrier for applicants because the level is intended for people without formal social work education, and the exam is the same national exam used for licensed social workers. The witness said there is only one LSWA in New Hampshire, so there is little pass/fail data, but noted that the Association of Social Worker Boards reported 78% of its membership favored retaining the exam. Supporters also emphasized that LSWA holders complete 30 hours of training and extensive supervised hours, and that they are not intended to work independently. Opponents or skeptics questioned whether the exam is the right measure for this role and asked for data showing actual failures or barriers. The discussion turned to possible alternatives, including a different exam, a practical skills assessment, or broader rulemaking authority for the board to set LSWA criteria. One suggestion was to amend the law to give the board authority to develop appropriate standards in rulemaking, rather than naming a specific exam in statute. Members also discussed whether the board could create a more suitable assessment and noted that the current law requires a national proctored examination approved by the board, but there is no national exam specifically for LSWA. No final vote or action was taken in the excerpt, and the subcommittee indicated it would gather more information, including the existing rule language, before moving the bill forward.