Video & Transcript : 'Texas mobility fund' :
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AL
Alabama 2025 Regular Session
Alabama House Ways and Means Education Committee Feb 26th, 2025
Ways and Means Education
Transcript Highlights:
- to the committee to discuss, depending on what I find out, is that in areas where we've set aside funds
- Set aside funds and we have programs that are not being utilized, then we should look at maybe continuing
- to level fund those, or maybe we should redirect those funding.
- We actually found the money to fund the Numeracy Act because we had overfunded the Teams deal.
Committee:
House Ways and Means Education
Keywords:
HB226, homestead exemption, ad valorem tax, property tax, property tax relief, widow, widower, unremarried spouse, surviving spouse, senior exemption, elderly, disabled, permanently and totally disabled, blind taxpayer, deed ownership, principal residence, school tax, county tax, municipal tax, Alabama Department of Revenue
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Ways and Means Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Transcript Highlights:
- issue of school funding.
- So we really truly need more state funding, and we need to reopen the funding formulas that fund districts
- We used to live in Texas.
- funding the Fair Housing Trust Fund at $4 million.
- We ask you to fund the Fair Housing Trust Fund at $4 million. Thank you.
Committee:
Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Summary:
The Joint Ways and Means Committee held its final public hearing on the FY26 state budget, with chairs and members emphasizing that public testimony would help shape the budget and asking speakers to keep remarks brief. Committee leaders introduced members, explained the hearing process, and repeatedly thanked residents, students, and advocates for participating. No votes were taken during the hearing.
Testimony focused heavily on education funding and the Chapter 70 formula. Students from Amherst, Northampton, Gateway Regional, Chester Elementary, and other districts described budget-driven cuts to electives, special education supports, paraprofessionals, counselors, transportation, and building maintenance. They urged higher Chapter 70 aid, increased minimum aid, rural school aid, and a reopening or restructuring of the funding formula, arguing that current formulas leave many districts unable to meet student needs and force local layoffs and overrides.
Other speakers urged funding or protection for a range of programs and facilities, including the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute for homicide survivor services, the Museum of African American History, the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and CART/interpreter services, the Access to Counsel housing legal aid program, the Department of Mental Health and Pocasset Mental Health Center, and Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children. One speaker opposed offshore wind-related spending and urged a reset of the state’s energy approach, while another advocated ending the aircraft sales tax exemption. Committee members responded sympathetically to many speakers, asked a few follow-up questions, and several expressed support for maintaining or expanding the programs discussed.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
MS Senate Floor - 4 February, 2026; 10:00 AM
Mississippi Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- It would be index funds like an S&P 500 fund.
- Life cycle fund which is also fund.
- , and education enhancement highway fund, and education enhancement fund. fund. fund.
- funds.
- </c> million to the funding formula. million to the funding formula.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Commerce and Consumer Affairs (01/29/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- I serve on the Education Funding Committee, where I am trying to lower our property taxes. that might
- committee</c><00:30:53.760><c> where</c><00:30:53.960><c> I</c><00:30:54.080><c> am</c> education funding
- committee where I am education funding committee where I am trying<00:30:54.480><c> to</c><00:30:54.640
- It can lead to heart disease, kidney failure, painful neuropathy, which can also affect your mobility
- vision loss and blindness your Mobility vision loss and blindness are<00:33:20.399><c> the</c><00:33
Summary:
The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 552, which would remove the “full-time student” requirement for children ages 19 to 25 covered under the state retiree health insurance plan. The prime sponsor said the change would align retiree coverage with state employee and ACA plans, would not cost taxpayers because retirees pay the premiums, and could even reduce administrative burden and possibly state costs. The chair noted the bill simply removes the words “if full-time student” from statute and said the proposal affects very few retirees and has no cost to the state. No opposition was presented, and the chair closed the hearing on HB 552 after no further testimony.
The committee then opened a public hearing on House Bill 648, which would require commercial insurance coverage for glucose monitoring devices and supplies for people with diabetes. The prime sponsor, a retired dietitian and diabetes educator, gave extensive testimony describing diabetes as common, costly, and serious, and argued that continuous glucose monitoring is important for managing type 2 and gestational diabetes, preventing hypoglycemia, and improving safety and decision-making. She said CGMs can alert users to dangerous blood sugar changes, help people understand how food, activity, and medication affect glucose, and save lives while offering a strong return on investment.
During questions, a committee member asked whether the bill should specify that the monitoring be tied to prescribed treatment, and the sponsor agreed that adding “prescribed” would be appropriate. The member also asked about the proper threshold for coverage and whether the bill should be tied to fasting-test diagnosis; the sponsor responded that A1C is only one measure of control and does not show daily fluctuations, and said she was not prepared to recommend a specific threshold but could provide clinical guidelines later. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the sponsor indicated support for the bill’s general approach to broader CGM access.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Wednesday, January 14, 2026)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Fund.
- Roy of Texas. offered by Mr. Roy of Texas.
- </c> gentleman from Texas. gentleman from Texas.
- funded.
- Roy of Texas. offered by Mr. Roy of Texas.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Energy Finance and Policy Committee 3/18/25
Energy Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> already trying to leverage our funding already trying to leverage our funding with<00:25:13.799>
- ><c> are</c> with the federal funds that are with the federal funds that are available<00:25:15.520><
- will fund the work out is mifa funds will fund the investment<00:25:44.080><c> tax</c><00:25:44.480>
- </c> our facility we need additional funding our facility we need additional funding to<00:42:30.040>
- big</c><00:46:51.760><c> cat</c> additional fund funding for our big cat additional fund funding for
Committee:
House Energy Finance and Policy
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine the nominations of David Fotouhi, of Virginia, to be Deputy Administrator, and Aaron Szabo, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Administrator, both of the Environmental Protection Agency. Mar 5th, 2025 at 09:00 am
Environment and Public Works Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Much of this funding was passed on a bipartisan basis to make long-overdue investments in roads, bridges
- EPW's efforts to claw back 20 billion dollars in congressionally approved clean energy and energy funding
- My staff have now twice requested a briefing on the funding freeze.
- Billionaire-funded think tank funded by big oil interests, and he worked as a lobbyist where he pushed
- Okay, so you agree, then, that the role of setting funding levels belongs to Congress and not to the
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services Mar 26th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- We may have a mobile app for our health care, but there is no mobile app for regional centers.
- What we have in common is that they're funded by a federal Medicaid fund source, which provides for eligible
- a memorandum instructing the freezing of funds.
- TAP funding at lower levels.
- Seventeen states filed Texas v.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Military and Veterans Affairs Jul 15th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- We spent in excess of $750,000 on that mobile unit. $50,000 on that mobile unit.
- So you will be seeing our request for recurring funding to continue to fund that cemetery for perpetuity
- it at the level it needs to be funded.
- If funded, it would probably be done by now, but we just don't seem to fund it nearly enough.
- To consider those realities, Senator, that you bring up—those real realities of funds, of funding.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee 2/27/25
Higher Education Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:09:40.000><c> these</c> as an ongoing maintenance fund these as an ongoing maintenance fund these
- funding.
- Those entities get a share of that funding, along with some federal funds, to do their work as well.
- </c><01:30:01.000><c> that</c> are the portion of State funding that are the portion of State funding
- </c><01:37:44.800><c> and</c> too we call this capacity funding and too we call this capacity funding
Committee:
House Higher Education Finance and Policy
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Ways and Means (01/14/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- And so we make loans to fund their funding and liquidity needs.
- their uh funding make loans to uh fund their uh funding and<00:10:00.560><c> liquidity</c><00:10:00.959
- </c> um mobile um mobile homes<02:57:22.040><c> um</c><02:57:22.399><c> whether</c><02:57:22.640><c>
- </c> Steward of those funds Steward of those funds follow<03:00:14.319><c> um</c><03:00:14.840><c> to
- </c><04:28:10.880><c> uh</c> medical costs food internet mobile uh medical costs food internet mobile
Summary:
The meeting was a Ways and Means briefing opened by the vice chair, who introduced Jason Wong of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston to discuss the national and regional economy. Wong focused on inflation, asking why it had fallen from about 9% in 2022 to the 2%–3% range, and what that meant for monetary policy and the risk of an economic downturn. He said the Fed’s target is 2%, noted that recent PCE inflation was about 2.4% and core PCE about 2.7%, and described the ongoing debate over whether interest rates should stay tight or be lowered further to protect the labor market.
Wong explained that the improvement in inflation has been driven largely by goods prices, especially durable goods such as cars, appliances, and furniture, as well as non-durable goods like food. He said supply-chain disruptions during the pandemic caused major price spikes in 2022, but those pressures have eased and many goods prices are now at or below the Fed’s target. He also referenced the New York Fed’s Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, saying it showed extreme pandemic-era disruptions that have since receded.
The main remaining inflation problem, he said, is in services, especially housing. Wong broke services into rent of shelter and all other services, explaining that shelter is a large share of household budgets and that housing inflation has a lag because rent measures often reflect older lease terms rather than current market rents. He said monthly Zillow data suggest market rents have cooled and may eventually feed through to official inflation measures. Members asked several questions about the chart’s time scale, the treatment of real estate, property taxes, and utilities, and Wong clarified that housing costs are counted in services and that the slides would be shared digitally. No votes or formal actions were taken.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Thursday, September 18, 2025)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Funding cuts to Mr.
- </c> funding for the next 20 years. funding for the next 20 years.
- That's why<04:36:47.119><c> Texas</c><04:36:47.680><c> Texas</c><04:36:47.680><c> Texas</c><04:36:48.719
- ><c> added</c><04:36:49.119><c> more</c><04:36:49.359><c> solar</c> why Texas Texas Texas added more
- solar why Texas Texas Texas added more solar and<04:36:49.920><c> wind</c><04:36:50.160><c> energy</c
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- Mobile committee on local legislation.
- </c> from Finance and Taxation General Fund. from Finance and Taxation General Fund.
- </c> from Finance and Taxation General Fund. from Finance and Taxation General Fund.
- </c> from Finance and Taxation General Fund. from Finance and Taxation General Fund.
- </c> from Finance and Taxation General Fund. from Finance and Taxation General Fund.
Summary:
The Alabama Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a roll call establishing a quorum. The chamber approved routine motions to excuse absent senators, dispense with the previous day’s journal, and allow introduction of bills and committee reports throughout the day. The Senate also received several House messages referring bills to committee, including local constitutional amendments for Limestone, Blount, and Mobile counties, a human cloning bill, a Fair Campaign Practices Act bill, a public education bill, a court fees bill, and a physician assistance bill.
Committee reports were then taken up. The Finance and Taxation General Fund, Confirmations, State Governmental Affairs, County and Municipal Government, Education Policy, Banking and Insurance, Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development, Transportation and Energy, and Local Legislation committees all reported a number of bills favorably, many with amendments or substitutes. Several measures were advanced to the calendar for the next legislative day, and the Senate confirmed multiple appointments, including Eileen Meyer and Tiffany Martin to the Alabama Board of Midwifery, Jennifer Ag, Jerry Gross, and Edgar Hower II to the University of West Alabama Board of Trustees, Patricia Sims, Tony Cochran, and Sandy Stimson to the Alabama State Port Authority Board of Directors.
The Senate then adopted a special order calendar under Senate Resolution 34, setting the order of business for the 10th legislative day. The main floor debate centered on House Bill 161, the App Store Accountability Act, which was described as a child-protection measure requiring parental permission, age verification by app stores, accurate app age ratings, and limits on minors entering contracts through app downloads. Senators speaking in support said the bill was needed to protect children from harmful online content and preserve parental control, and they discussed an amendment clarifying the meaning of “act” and preserving compliance with other state age-verification laws. The debate was ongoing in the portion provided, and no final vote on HB 161 appears in this excerpt.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Thursday, June 12, 2025)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- So, it's illegal and funding.
- </c> from Texas, Mrs. Garcia. from Texas, Mrs. Garcia.
- We cut their funding.
- We cut their funding.
- He made taxpayer funded nonsense. Failure is not taxpayer funded nonsense.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
2026 Legislative Session - Day Fifty Three - Thursday, April 16
Missouri House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- He went on to additional pilot training in Beeville, Texas, to upgrade to the front seat of the Phantom
- He went on to additional pilot training in Beeville, Texas, to upgrade to the front seat of the Phantom
- He traveled in a mobile truck around the community for a long time, picking up dogs and taking those
Summary:
The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the previous day’s journal by a vote of 126-2. Members then observed a moment of silence for former Representative Barney Fisher, who was remembered for his Marine Corps service, business career, and House service from 2005 to 2013. The chamber also welcomed several guest groups, including Southern Boone third graders, Lake of the Ozarks Day visitors, and guests connected to autism awareness and other local interests.
The House then took up several third-reading bills. Senate Bill 907, the “Act Against Abusive Website Access Litigation,” was amended and passed 148-0; supporters said it would curb predatory ADA website lawsuits and give businesses 90 days to fix problems before suit, while still preserving access rights. House Joint Resolution 159, which would modernize investment authority for the state treasurer and potentially generate about $15 million annually, passed 100-34 after debate over investment safeguards and whether it was too broad. House Bill 2741, requiring CDL holders and applicants to be able to read and speak English sufficiently for safety-related tasks and imposing penalties on operators and carriers, passed 104-22 amid concerns about subjectivity and immigration impacts.
The House also passed House Bill 2474, adding progressive design-build as an optional project delivery method for local governments, by 141-5; House Bill 3076, a Department of Natural Resources cleanup bill exempting agricultural non-point sources from water permitting, by 102-41 after sharp debate over environmental protections; House Bill 2436, revising animal abuse/neglect and impoundment procedures, by 88-54; House Bill 2576, a naming/recognition bill, by 140-3; and House Bill 3175, “Mason’s Law,” allowing health-condition information to be shared with law enforcement during traffic stops, by 147-0. The chamber then announced upcoming committee work and adjourned until 4 p.m. Monday, April 20, 2026.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- Staffing and funding all kind of dictate where we can go.
- Spacing and staffing and funding all kind of dictates where we can go.
- is in those courses to keep up our Title I funding.
- And I'm assuming you're going to tell me funding? No, not funding.
- And I'm assuming you're going to tell me funding? No, not funding.
Committee:
House Administration of Criminal Justice
Summary:
The committee held an oversight discussion on Louisiana’s reentry landscape, with Chair Villio emphasizing that the hearing was informational only and that no bills were being considered. Department of Public Safety and Corrections officials outlined the state’s reentry mission and current programming in state facilities, local jails, regional reentry centers, and STEP facilities. They described services including literacy and GED preparation, career and technical education, industry certifications, postsecondary partnerships, mental health and substance abuse treatment, victim impact and trauma programming, and pre-release assistance such as state IDs, birth certificates, Social Security cards, Medicaid, SNAP, and driver’s licenses. Officials also discussed a new data-sharing MOU with DCFS for child support matters and a planned “return portal” with Louisiana Works to connect incarcerated people to jobs and training aligned with labor market needs.
A major focus was the reentry court program at Angola for men and at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women. Assistant Secretary DeLouche and Assistant Warden Easley explained that the program is limited to nine judicial districts, requires judge and district attorney consent, and includes a two-year institutional phase followed by three years of intensive supervised probation. Participants must earn a HiSET if needed, complete multiple certifications and life-skills programs, and then petition for resentencing; officials said the program’s current recidivism rate is under 14 percent. They also highlighted specialized offerings such as vocational mentoring, a Braille transcription and repair program, and family-focused events like a father-daughter dance.
Testimony from employers and local officials was broadly supportive. Eric Lane described hiring formerly incarcerated workers through the parole project and said the program solved problems he had seen with halfway-house placements by helping people secure housing, IDs, and licenses before release. Sheriff Kevin Cobb said sheriffs are active partners, with 51 of 64 parishes offering some form of programming and more than 75 percent of local facilities providing services; he stressed that local jail programming has grown over time and that data collection is improving. Members repeatedly asked for more data on recidivism, employment outcomes, and what programs are available by parish, and several praised the department and sheriffs for the work already being done. No votes were taken.
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Chronic Wasting Disease TF Jan 7th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- It was so successful that we had to pause it because of lack of funding.
- It was so successful that we had to pause it because of lack of funding.
- But, you know, we're self-generated funds.
- And a wonderful scenario there, because we funded, our legislature funded, to buy equipment to run the
- Texas A&M, based on the strains and the genotypes and the negative G.EBVs?
Summary:
The meeting began with roll call, adoption of the agenda, and approval of the prior minutes. The main presentation was from Julie Grenwald of Louisiana Hunters for the Hungry, who described the nonprofit’s protein donation programs, including freezer clean-out days, deer and fish processing partnerships, and a paused feral hog donation program that had collected about 3,500 hogs and 137,000 pounds of pork before funding ran short. She said the group has donated roughly 300,000 pounds of protein over two years, works with food banks and local agencies, and is protected under Louisiana’s Good Samaritan Law. Members asked about processor locations, exotic species, signage, sponsorships, and whether the program could expand to other invasive species or mobile drop-off options; Grenwald said expansion is possible if processors and funding are available.
The task force then received a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries update from Jonathan Bordelon on chronic wasting disease testing. He reported more than 2,800 samples collected and over 2,300 results returned, with nine positives total: eight in Tensas Parish and one confirmed in Concordia Parish on Richard K. Yancey WMA, which triggered preparation of an emergency declaration and future rulemaking to adjust the control area. He said harvest and sampling remain near record levels, most samples are voluntary, and the agency continues to monitor symptomatic deer reports and public submissions.
The final major presentation was from William McKinley of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, who gave a detailed overview of Mississippi’s CWD response. He said Mississippi has 529 detections across 18 counties, with prevalence rising from about one in 500 samples to about one in 80 statewide, and much higher in some counties. He described Mississippi’s surveillance system, targeted tags within three miles of positives, environmental sampling, feeder bans in CWD zones, and research showing contamination at feeders and in scrapes. He also discussed possible multiple strains, including one linked to the Wisconsin whitetail strain and another around Vicksburg/Issaquena, and said the disease appears to be expanding about 3.5 miles per year. Members asked about high-fence enclosures, live deer movement restrictions, baiting and feeding rules, hunter participation, and whether Louisiana should develop similar environmental testing capacity; no votes were taken on these issues, but members discussed possible future legislative or budget action.
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
03/23/2026 - House Health & Human Services
House Health & Human Services Committee of Reference
Transcript Highlights:
- general fund.
- Did you say $10 million state general fund?
- Because all those positions are funded by licensing fees.
- Licensing Fund, which is almost a self-contained revolving fund, that there are a number of different
- This bill creates a separate fund.
Summary:
The committee heard several bills related to radiation protection in cardiac catheterization labs and later a stem cell/regenerative therapy bill. On SB 1121, which would allow hospitals with radiation protection systems to let clinicians forgo lead aprons if they work in the designated safety area and use real-time dosimetry, testimony was largely supportive or neutral after a late amendment gave radiation safety officers discretion to require protective gear if exposures approach thresholds. The committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1121 on a 9-1 vote. SB 1120, a more prescriptive bill requiring at least 50% of cath lab rooms in hospitals to be equipped with the radiation protection system, drew divided testimony: sponsors and several physicians argued it would reduce orthopedic injury and radiation exposure and improve recruitment and retention, while hospital and radiology groups objected to the mandate, cost, limited vendor pool, and lack of clarity in the bill’s definitions. After adopting an amendment excluding children’s hospitals, the committee deadlocked 6-6 and SB 1120 failed to pass.
The committee then considered SB 1118, which would appropriate $3 million to help rural hospitals install radiation protection systems in cath lab rooms. The sponsor said the funding would help rural facilities meet the same safety goals, and the committee passed the bill 6-5. The committee also heard SB 1214, a “guardrails” bill regulating non-FDA-approved stem cell and regenerative therapies, requiring informed consent, sourcing and reporting standards, advertising limits, and civil penalties for violations. Supporters said it would protect patients while allowing access to promising therapies; some members raised concerns about evidence and commercialization, but after adopting a technical amendment, the bill passed 9-3. The transcript ended as the committee moved on to SB 1630, which would seek federal approval for a home- and community-based service benefit for adults with serious mental illness; the sponsor described it as a capped, Medicaid-based community care option, and Access testified neutral while estimating a fiscal impact, but no final action on SB 1630 appears in the excerpt.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
FL House Floor Session - 2026-03-10 (11:00AM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- When we debate funding, somebody is waiting on the APD wait list.
- Amendment 684-905 restricts such use of funds to one head coach per athletic team.
- This bill is not about funding. This bill is about being divisive. This bill is about dividing.
- This bill is not about funding. This bill is about being divisive. This bill is about dividing.
- The amendment simply deletes reference to the creation of a trust fund.
Summary:
The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for Army Sergeant Benjamin Pennington, the Pledge of Allegiance, and quorum and journal business before taking up the special order calendar. Several bills were explained and moved through amendment and final passage, including CS/SB 590 on the statute of limitations for mandatory reporters’ child-abuse reporting violations, which was clarified on the floor to apply prospectively only and passed 111-0. CS/SB 418 on law enforcement interactions with individuals with autism spectrum disorder was amended to align with the House version and passed 111-0. The chamber also recognized Spina Bifida Week and guests in the gallery before considering additional measures.
Members then passed CS/CS/SB 1668 on the Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association (NICA), described as preserving the program’s actuarial soundness, by a 112-0 vote; CS/SB 1246 on the Linking Industry to Nursing Education Fund, expanded to support broader health science education programs and non-health-care partner contributions, by 112-0; CS/CS/SB 1404 on memory care facility standards by 111-0; CS/CS/SB 1030 on recovery residences, including transfer-of-ownership and MAT-related provisions, by 168-0; CS/CS/SB 178 on athletics in public K-12 schools, allowing limited coach support for student welfare with parental consent and other guardrails, by 112-0; CS/CS/SB 422 on automatic dependent surveillance broadcasts, limiting use of ADS-B data for airport billing, by 108-2; and CS/CS/SB 598 on funeral, cemetery, and consumer services, modernizing licensure and exclusivity rules, by 111-0.
The House also took up CS/SB 1134 on official actions of local governments and DEI-related restrictions. The sponsor argued the bill would prohibit counties and municipalities from official DEI actions and related funding while preserving numerous exceptions for holidays, observances, public safety, and other activities. Members asked extensive questions about how the bill would affect local programs, events, and offices, and Representative Gant offered an amendment to narrow the bill’s DEI definition by removing two prongs; debate centered on vagueness, enforcement, and local-government impacts. The transcript cuts off during consideration of that amendment, so no final action on the bill is shown. The session also included lengthy farewell remarks from Representatives Eskamani and Overdorf, reflecting on their service, staff, constituents, and policy priorities.
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Jan 14th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Over 30% of those trust funds are federal funds.
- Over 30% of those trust funds are federal funds.
- new funding.
- These public safety reductions include recurring-based budget funds or excess trust fund authority that
- That's trust fund authority for the private prisons out of the inmate welfare trust fund.
Summary:
The committee received a presentation on the Governor’s fiscal year 2026-2027 public safety budget, which totals $8.2 billion for the public safety silo and includes funding for the Departments of Law Enforcement, Juvenile Justice, and Corrections, along with courts and legal affairs. The Governor’s Office highlighted recurring reductions and vacancy eliminations, while agency heads outlined their major requests: FDLE sought funding for fentanyl enforcement, career offender registry staffing, alert-system upgrades, alcohol testing modernization, officer wellness, criminal intelligence, and immigration-related intelligence work; DJJ requested money for the Florida Scholars Academy, uniforms, residential services, a new Broward detention center, and facility maintenance; and DOC requested major increases for officer pay, additional staff, facility construction and maintenance, communications upgrades, inmate health care, pharmaceuticals, and food service. Members questioned FDLE about immigration enforcement and public records burdens, and DOC about staffing, capacity, mental health services, contraband, housing, and whether prison beds were being used for immigration detainees. Public testimony also urged better prison conditions and basic necessities for incarcerated people.
The committee then took up and reported favorably CS/SB 156, the Jason Rayner Act, which would strengthen penalties and clarify that a person may not resist an officer with violence when the officer is performing official duties. An amendment conforming the bill to House language was adopted, and the bill passed with Senator Smith voting no. The committee also adopted an amendment and reported favorably CS/SB 54, which concerns use of substances affecting cognitive function and limits certain medical-record disclosures to information relevant to investigations of violent offenders; Senator Smith voted no on that measure as well.
Next, the committee considered Senator Berman’s bills on domestic and dating violence. CS/SB 296 would direct a study of a secure web-based alert platform for victims, including a discreet phone-number/code system and geolocation support, and would expand the Address Confidentiality Program to dating-violence victims. The bill drew emotional support testimony from survivors and advocates describing the dangers victims face when trying to leave abusive situations, and it was reported favorably. Its companion, CS/SB 298, would extend public-records protections in the Address Confidentiality Program to dating-violence victims; it was also reported favorably. The committee then adjourned.