Transcript Highlights:

• infancy, but what I gleaned from it is the frustration that you have a fully conforming, no waiver, no variance
• zoning area to build that, presumably residential product, and even though there's no waivers, no variances
• infancy, but what I gleaned from it is the frustration that you have a fully conforming, no waiver, no variance
• zoning area to build that, presumably residential product, and even though there's no waivers, no variances

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs met with a quorum present and heard three bills. First, the committee considered Senator Osgood’s home hardening products bill (CS/SB 78). The sponsor offered and the committee adopted a strike-all amendment that changed the sales tax exemption for impact-resistant doors and windows into a refund program. The refund is limited to homeowners with site-built homesteads valued at $700,000 or less, requires application to the Department of Revenue with proof of eligibility, caps the refundable tax at $500,000 per property, and runs for two years beginning July 1, 2026. The bill, as amended, was reported favorably after a roll call vote. The committee then took up Senator McLean’s land use and development regulations bill (SB 208), which would redefine compatibility, define infill residential development, allow administrative approval in certain cases, and set standards for local development-related fees. Members and stakeholders discussed concerns about the compatibility definition, the scope of administrative approval, and whether 100 acres is too large to qualify as infill. Testimony came from Audubon Florida, the Florida Association of Counties, the Florida League of Cities, Highland Homes, 1,000 Friends of Florida, and others, with supporters emphasizing housing supply and affordability and opponents warning about sprawl, reduced public participation, and impacts to rural lands and the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The sponsor said he would continue working on the language, and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard Senator Truenow’s bill on special assessments for recreational vehicle parks (SB 118). The bill clarifies that if a local government levies a special assessment on an RV park space or campsite, the assessment may not exceed the maximum square footage allowed for an RV site. An amendment clarified that maximum as 400 square feet, resolving confusion about the cross-reference in current law. After brief discussion and one appearance form in support, the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• infancy, but what I gleaned from it is the frustration that you have a fully conforming, no waiver, no variance
• zoning area to build that, presumably residential product, and even though there's no waivers, no variances
• infancy, but what I gleaned from it is the frustration that you have a fully conforming, no waiver, no variance
• zoning area to build that, presumably residential product, and even though there's no waivers, no variances

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs met with a quorum present and heard three bills. First, the committee considered Senator Osgood’s home hardening products bill (CS/SB 78). An amendment was adopted that changed the sales tax exemption for impact-resistant doors and windows into a refund process, limited eligibility to homeowners with site-built homesteads valued at $700,000 or less, capped the refundable tax at $500,000 per property, and set the refund period for two years beginning July 1, 2026. After the amendment, the bill was reported favorably. The committee then took up Senator McClain’s SB 208 on land use and development regulations. The bill would define compatibility and infill residential development, allow administrative approval of certain infill projects, and set standards for local development-related fees. Several members and stakeholders discussed possible changes to the compatibility and fee provisions. Testimony included opposition from Audubon Florida, the Florida Association of Counties, the Florida League of Cities, and 1,000 Friends of Florida, who raised concerns about sprawl, public participation, the 100-acre infill threshold, and impacts on rural lands and the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Support came from Highland Homes and several groups that waived in support, including AARP, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and Associated Industries of Florida. The bill was reported favorably after debate. Finally, the committee heard Senator Trumbull’s SB 118 on special assessments for recreational vehicle parks. The bill clarifies that if a local government levies a special assessment on an RV park space or campsite, the assessed square footage cannot exceed the maximum square footage allowed for a recreational vehicle. An amendment clarified the maximum square footage as 400 square feet. After brief discussion and no opposition, the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• But anyway, those were the big variances for the month of May.
• So the first request coming to you from the Emergency Commission is Request No. 2164 from the Department
• One that has been requested to be voted on separately.
• Any discussion on the other three requests?
• Chairman, we have a request. With that, Mr. Chairman, we have a request for the Budget Section.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But anyway, those were the big variances for the month of May.
• So the first request coming to you from the Emergency Commission is Request No. 2164 from the Department
• Any discussion on the other three motions or requests?
• Now we'll take a motion on Request No. 2164 from the committee.
• Chairman, we have a request. With that, Mr. Chairman, we have a request for the Budget Section.

Summary: The Budget Section met to approve prior minutes and receive a series of budget, revenue, and program updates from OMB, the Tax Department, DOT, DMR, and DPI. OMB reported that general fund revenues through May were about $76 million below the legislative forecast, driven mainly by individual income tax and sales tax shortfalls, though the biennium is still projected to end with a positive balance. OMB also reviewed oil price and production assumptions, the budget stabilization fund transfer above its cap, Legacy Fund performance, federal grant applications, fiscal irregularities, tobacco settlement proceeds, budget guidelines for agencies, vacancy savings, and the DAPL settlement, noting that most of the settlement funds had been deposited but a small amount of accrued interest would require a future deficiency request. The committee then considered Emergency Commission requests. It approved requests for Public Service Commission abandoned mine lands federal authority, an Attorney General FTE and related funding for criminal investigator work tied to the Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship, and a DPI transfer for bridge software costs. After discussion, the committee also approved DPI’s request for a $500,000 transfer for the food vendor program, despite questions about the program’s savings and cash-flow structure. Later, the Tax Commissioner presented the primary residence credit program, reporting that current biennium costs are expected to exceed the appropriation by about $22 million and explaining how the credit interacts with homestead and disabled veteran credits and the 3% property tax levy cap. The Legacy and Budget Stabilization Fund Advisory Board reported strong returns for both funds, and DOT sought and received approval for two flexible fund highway projects on ND 49 and ND 31. DOT also updated members on Highway 85 construction and said remaining flex fund dollars were essentially fully allocated. DMR reported on the abandoned well plugging and site reclamation fund, noting North Dakota’s relatively small orphan well inventory, current and projected fund balances, rising remediation costs, and a possible need to adjust the fund cap in future sessions. Finally, DPI outlined the new integrated formula gap funding program, explaining that it compensates school districts that cannot reach the assumed 60-mill local contribution because of the 3% levy cap; the first year’s gap funding totaled about $1.8 million, with future costs expected to grow.

Transcript Highlights:

• The one area of discussion that the committee did have was the length of time for the variance.
• <00:17:29.440> and the length of time for the variance and the length of time for the variance
• Roll call has been requested, and when the vote is taken, it shall be by roll.
• <00:21:55.920> and<00:21:56.080> when Roll call has been requested and when Roll call
• But they've been more and more getting requests from the Agency of Transportation to tow vehicles that

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So even for school millages, there's a little bit of variance.
• So even for school millages, there's a little bit of variance, but the real variance is in the non-school
• So there's a much greater variance in the non-school millage rates when... ...you try to analyze that

Summary: The Senate Committee on Finance and Tax met for its first meeting of the session, with a quorum present and several members excused. Chair Avila opened by framing the committee’s main focus as property tax relief and housing affordability, noting the complexity of any changes to Florida’s long-standing property tax structure and emphasizing the need to preserve funding for schools and local public safety. He also introduced new committee staff member Tamisha Black and thanked staff for summer work supporting analysis of potential proposals, including constitutional amendment concepts and other property tax relief ideas. Staff director Azar Khan then presented an update on the General Revenue forecast, explaining that collections remained above estimate but at a slower pace than the prior year, with recent economic indicators slightly weaker than earlier forecasts. He said the new forecast mostly reflected modest adjustments, with a notable share of the increase coming from earnings on investment rather than the usual drivers such as sales tax or corporate income tax. Khan also gave a detailed presentation on ad valorem millages, explaining the different millage types used by school districts, counties, municipalities, special districts, and water management districts; the rollback rate; TRIM notice and hearing timelines; voting thresholds for adopting higher millages; and long-term trends showing millage rates declining over time even as total taxes levied have increased. Members used the presentations to discuss property tax relief options and the relationship between local property taxes and state revenue. President Passidomo praised staff and Senator Bernard’s summer work on proposals. President Gaetz asked about converting homestead property tax revenue to sales tax and was told the rough equivalent could be around a 2.8-cent sales tax increase, though with important behavioral and distributional caveats. Senator Rouson asked about the decline in corporate income tax estimates, and Khan said it likely reflected changes in national corporate profit expectations and collection patterns, promising a follow-up. The Department of Revenue’s Lizette Kelly confirmed that TRIM data, including adopted millages, rollback rates, and maximum millage calculations, are collected by jurisdiction and can be provided to the committee. No bills were taken up and no votes occurred beyond adjournment, which was adopted by motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is something that would be done via patient request.
• This is something that would be done via patient request.
• This variance<03:05:17.000> stems variance stems variance stems system<03:05:18.600> needs<
• do any variances do any variances because<03:05:37.960> of<03:05:38.000> the<03:05
• So, there's an inequity variances.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Example two: a member of a zoning board participates in a decision to grant a variance to applicant B
• <00:20:35.679> That to grant a variance to applicant B.
• That to grant a variance to applicant B.
• <00:33:38.320> a management or they have to request a management or they have to request a
• that we added uh sort of at the request that we added uh sort of at the request of<00:34:03.039>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• initiative and help me understand this was done like in 2023 and it went to committee and if it had variances
• of $25,000 and nobody u variances of $25,000 and nobody u disagreed<00:03:45.040> with<00:03:
• Chairman, you know, I don't think I have any committee requests at this point. Certainly.
• requests at this<00:33:04.960> point.
• have some additional uh data requests have some additional uh data requests we'll<00:56:45.520><

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To point out, you can see there's a cost variance column and a finish variance column, and the color
• A request for information is an early step in the procurement process.
• In a request for proposal, we would hit on those types of questions, Chairman Bosch.
• Request the funding based on a very rough order of magnitude plan for funding.
• We're getting more and more requests for training.

Summary: The committee received several informational reports from NDIT and DPI. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major IT project portfolio, noting the portfolio was slightly under budget and behind schedule overall, with three red schedule items: Bed Management System and Vital Records were essentially complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project was delayed by vendor bug fixes after testing. He also summarized recent project startups and closeouts, including the Victim Notification System, Medicaid data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier permit system, and several completed HHS and RIMS projects. Members asked for follow-up on ADA compliance work, the public-facing RIO website, and the state’s mainframe retirement timeline, and staff agreed to provide updates later. Craig Falkley reported on coordination of services with political subdivisions and higher education, including StageNet, cybersecurity, radio/911 services, and PeopleSoft coordination. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for transparency and fraud prevention, but said it is not widely used in state government and suggested the report be modernized to focus more broadly on emerging technologies such as AI and cybersecurity. The committee generally agreed that the topic should be updated. Chris Gurgan presented the mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting program created by HB 1314, explaining how agencies and political subdivisions report incidents through NDIT’s website or service desk. He said 77 incidents had been reported since 2021, 47 met the statutory definition, and most were phishing-related; most reported incidents were resolved, with one recent ransomware matter still open. He also reviewed notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool compromise, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise, and a recent ransomware incident involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about recovery of stolen funds, early warning signs, smishing, training, MFA, conditional access, and cybersecurity maturity assessments; Gurgan said the state uses MFA and conditional access, provides awareness training to state employees, and would return with more information on maturity assessments. Tony Ambrose then updated the committee on the K-12 student information system bridge project. He said district implementation of Infinite Campus had begun statewide, but the data migration vendor originally selected was terminated for poor performance and replaced by Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with similar statewide migrations. He also said DPI is migrating special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, and that some SLDS-based tools such as e-transcripts and Choice Ready may not function exactly as they do now at July 1, requiring interim or alternative solutions. Members raised concerns about summer school disruptions, the timing of the cutover, and whether the new system would support existing reporting and transcript functions; DPI said it was working on identity, authentication, data-sharing agreements, and post-go-live integrations, and would continue to refine the plan beyond June 30.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so my amendment is geared towards putting some boundaries on those requests for data so it can't
• And so my amendment is geared towards putting some boundaries on those requests for data so it can't
• We get about 3,000 data<00:52:17.920> requests<00:52:18.319> just<00:52:18.559> on
• c><00:52:18.720> this<00:52:18.880> item<00:52:19.200> alone data requests just
• <01:09:53.120> process implementing that uh variance process implementing that uh variance

Bills: HF3935, HF2216, HF4354, HF4210, HF4212

Keywords: assisted living, healthcare, training, unlicensed personnel, resident rights, safety regulations, nursing home, long-term care, guardian, conservator, arbitration, mandatory arbitration, consumer protection, fee increase, rate increase, price hike, private pay, public funds, Medicaid, waiver services

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, the next one is a market-related request. This is a testing facility license variance.
• Uh, the next one is a market-related request. This is a testing facility license variance.
• Uh, the next one is a market-related request. This is a testing facility license variance.
• Uh, the next one is a market-related request. This is a testing facility license variance.
• Uh, the next one is a market-related request. This is a testing facility license variance.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think commonly they're known as the board, the zoning board of adjustment for a variance and seek judicial
• A property owner may also go to the board of adjustment to request to restore, restore the lost nonconforming
• during the upgrades and expansions to achieve results as close as possible to 1194, recognizing that variances
• In existing facilities that might not meet 1194, it's better to give a variance than to allow a park
• I respectfully request my right to close and thank you all for your consideration.

Bills: HB24

Keywords: groundwater, conservation, water permits, sustainability, resource management

Transcript Highlights:

• The variance between the elbow recommendation and the revised request from MDES is driven by two primary
• and MDES's revised request. and MDES's revised request.
• and the revised request recommendation and the revised request from<00:03:07.680> MDES<00:03:
• So, not requesting anything been. So, not requesting anything different<00:20:00.400> there.
• request this year is for $150 million. request this year is for $150 million.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 210; 14 January, 2026: 3:30 PM, 925, all

Summary: MDES presented its FY27 budget request, describing the agency as a special fund workforce agency focused on helping Mississippians get jobs through employment services, labor market information, and unemployment insurance. Executive Director Bill Ashley said the revised request seeks level spending authority similar to FY26, with line-item changes driven mainly by higher salaries and fringe benefits and lower contractual services. He said MDES currently has 406 employees, 28 active recruitments, and six additional planned positions, for a requested total of 440 positions, down from 453 authorized last year. The request also includes $1.4 million for the State Longitudinal Data System and $400,000 for Accelerate Mississippi fiscal support. Committee members asked about the SLDS pass-through funding, whether it is recurring, and the staffing/pin changes; MDES explained the SLDS is a recurring annual pass-through and that the staffing request reflects turnover and recruitment needs rather than a net expansion. Accelerate Mississippi then outlined its FY27 request and program updates. Officials said the office is requesting level funding overall, with some salary adjustments tied to benefits and two new positions, including one for Talent Solutions and one systems administrator. They described workforce initiatives such as Encore, a recruiter/instructor program; Facet, a partnership with Northwest Mississippi Community College to strengthen instructor preparation; Power Path, a K-12 advanced manufacturing credential model; and expanded career coach activity, reporting 204 coaches serving 209 schools and more than 22,000 unique student interactions. They also reviewed funding streams for workforce enhancement training, Mississippi Works, Equip Mississippi, and ARPA, saying ARPA funds are on track to be fully spent by the September 30 reimbursement deadline and that monthly check-ins are being used to ensure funds are drawn down. Members asked about the budget changes, the use of contractual services, and the career coach program; the office said it was shifting some audit and monitoring costs to the funds being monitored and was not requesting an increase for career coach funding. The Mississippi community college presidents and the Community College Board also presented their budget priorities. They reported that Mississippi community colleges served 88,600 students in academic year 2023 and said the system’s graduation rate is about 42 percent, with a goal of reaching 55 percent. Their FY27 request includes a 6 percent salary increase for employees, increased basic operations funding, and continued support for CTE Advantage programs, totaling $61.5 million in general support. On facilities, they requested $150 million after receiving no facilities funding last year, citing roughly $413 million in identified needs across capital improvements, repairs and renovations, and pre-planning. The Community College Board requested restoration of $310,000 in general fund cuts and a new $2 million appropriation for adult education, noting that an estimated 300,000 to 330,000 Mississippians lack a high school diploma. No votes were taken during the presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• A division vote has been requested. A division vote has been requested.
• A division has been requested.
• A division has been<01:03:16.960> requested. been requested. been requested.
• Speaker, I request a the aisle? And Mr. Speaker, I request a division<02:00:28.800> vote.
• request a roll call vote. request a roll call vote.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:14:52.880> This individually to data requests. This individually to data requests.
• the individual county. requests.
• That's 228 in 2025 and even uh requests.
• subject to data requests subject to data requests if<00:26:03.040> necessary.
• So, anytime we can data requests.

Bills: HF4364, HF4821, HF4543, HF3945

Keywords: Central and Eastern European Affairs, ethnic council, advisory council, Minnesota state government, immigrant communities, refugees, humanitarian parolees, Ukraine, Poland, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Czech Republic, Baltic states, Slovakia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Russia

Summary: The committee first approved the April 7, 2026 minutes and then held an informal hearing on House File 4364, which would establish a Central and Eastern European Ethnic Council in Minnesota. Representative Jordan and testifiers Mykola Mager and Julia Miller described the large Central and Eastern European community in Minnesota, its contributions to the state, and the need for a formal advisory body to help address barriers to government services, support refugees, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and cultural understanding. Members expressed general support and noted the bill’s importance, but no formal action was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then took up House File 4543, a bill to create a centralized payroll reporting portal for prevailing wage projects. Representative Frazier said the bill would reduce administrative burden on project owners, improve transparency and accountability, and help prevent wage theft, misclassification, tax fraud, and insurance fraud. Testifiers from county, city, and contractor groups largely supported the idea of streamlining reporting, but contractor representatives raised concerns about employee data privacy, public access to sensitive payroll information, duplication of existing systems, interoperability with contractor software, and the need for stakeholder engagement. Members echoed both support and caution, and the bill was laid over as amended rather than advanced. Finally, the committee considered House File 4821, described by Chair Klevorn as addressing the “penny problem” and a related change to high-deductible insurance plans. The bill would authorize state agencies to round cash transactions because of the penny shortage and would change MMB’s obligation to offer certain high-deductible health plans from “must” to “may,” producing modest administrative savings. Members questioned the drafting of the rounding language and asked about cash transactions at state agencies and the handling of cannabis tax payments. The chair noted the bill had missed the deadline and would be caught by the chief clerk’s office; the discussion ended with the bill being laid over as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Staff received an additional contract for review by request of the Department of Finance and Administration
• That was a request from the peer chair, so okay. You don't expect that to continue?
• These are special projects that are over five million dollars that agencies or institutions can request
• They also, as a request of the September 2020 ALC meeting, included a list of all the contracts on the
• One request would be, could you send to the chair what one of these reports looks like?

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is an additional construction funding request.
• This is an additional construction funding request.
• Would you like to make your request at this time?
• I think the requests, maybe not the waiver request, but the requests have been lagging a little bit compared
• And so we request, and so that's why we requested to be considered under the new adequacy standards for

Transcript Highlights:

• what we found by looking at that data is that WSDOT has been experiencing a trend of significant variances
• between its... ...that WSDOT has been experiencing a trend of significant variances between its engineers
• So we can't blame all these variances just on volatile market conditions.
• I think the biggest thing that they requested is that we mention that all of these things, all of these
• This one came to us at the request of the Association of Washington Cities.

Summary: The meeting began with introductions from members of the Joint Transportation Committee and a presentation from the Association of Washington Cities and the public works directors of Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, and West Richland. The cities described the Quad Cities region as one of the fastest-growing in the state and outlined shared transportation priorities that align with the committee’s focus on safety, multimodal access, climate resilience, and economic development. They emphasized Vision Zero efforts, complete streets, ADA accessibility, regional trail and bike/pedestrian planning, and coordinated long-range transportation and land-use planning to manage growth. The city officials also discussed major funding and delivery challenges, including rising construction costs, project phasing, pavement preservation, right-of-way acquisition, and delays caused by state and federal permitting and review processes. They highlighted regional cooperation through the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments, Good Roads, and local funding tools such as impact fees, transportation benefit districts, REET, tax increment financing, and state and federal grants. Specific projects discussed included Richland’s SR 240/Aaron Drive complete streets project and downtown connectivity work, Kennewick’s Columbia Center Boulevard improvements and rail study, Pasco’s Court/Road 68, Sylvester Street corridor, I-182 bridge/interchange work, and a new north-south bridge study, and West Richland’s SR 224 Red Mountain corridor project, which officials said was awarded under budget and is scheduled to begin construction. Committee members asked questions about sidewalk connections to schools, state-agency right-of-way timelines, apprenticeship utilization, contractor selection, and whether complete streets requirements add burdens to pavement preservation projects. The city officials said new development is generally meeting sidewalk standards, but older infill areas remain a gap; that state right-of-way transactions can take much longer than expected; that apprenticeship requirements are common but harder for smaller contractors and local labor markets; and that low-bid contracting leaves little room to screen for performance history. They also said complete streets requirements are usually manageable on major projects but can be difficult to absorb in smaller preservation work. The committee then shifted to a JTC-funded study on transit-oriented development, presented by Urban Institute researcher Yona Freemark. The study examined TOD conditions in 33 cities in Snohomish, King, Pierce, Clark, and Spokane counties near rail and bus rapid transit stations. Freemark said Washington’s housing affordability crisis is severe, especially near transit, and found that high-cost cities have seen more development near stations but also signs of gentrification and loss of affordable housing, while lower-cost cities have had less development and worsening affordability relative to income. He identified barriers including high debt costs, land costs, infrastructure costs, zoning and parking rules, and limited subsidies for affordable housing. He recommended more neighborhood infrastructure funding near stations, stronger affordable housing investment, and better use of public land, noting that HB 1491 and related legislation are already changing some local requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• I respectfully request an expedient to legislate for this bill, and thank you again for your time.
• I respectfully request an expedient to legislate for this bill, and thank you again for your time.
• there was also a a request there was also a a request for<01:58:38.079> um<01:58:39.079><
• <02:13:09.119> for requests for requests for 50,000<02:13:11.639> um<02:13:12.199> and
• <05:39:04.440> or<05:39:04.718> special zoning variance or special zoning variance

Keywords: 1189, house, all