Transcript Highlights:

• City Council Place 3.
• Council.
• Advisory, delegatory, collaborative arrangement has worked for the people of Texas.
• I'm also an appointed member of the Texas Perinatal Advisory Council and serve as a Texas AIM implementation
• Well, look at the nursing workers; I hope they're here. Thank you.

Bills: SB1888 , SB3003 , SB2417 , SB2459 , SB3055 , HB1393 , HB2884 , SB2943

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• thanks to Thank you to Council and thank thanks to Thank you to Council and thank you<01:45:39.880><c
• </c> already be in the packet and the council already be in the packet and the council can<02:15:56.360
• </c><02:34:30.000><c> DVS</c><02:34:30.560><c> worker</c> DMV worker DVS worker DMV worker DVS worker
• Compensation and the only compensation there's only reason there's no extra compensation in here other
• </c><03:08:05.560><c> committee,</c> dele- uh delegate advisory committee, dele- uh delegate advisory

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• A full notice of intent was filed with the Legislative Council.
• The lottery filed the rules with the Legislative Council.
• So look for an email from Legislative Council on that. Our next meeting will be in September.
• It was from NCSL rather than from Legislative Council where the money came from.
• If you report your travel to Legislative Council, either through your expense...

Committee: Joint Administrative Rules Committee

Summary: The committee approved the March 12, 2026 minutes and granted the Board of Medicine an extension of time to implement rule changes tied to House Bill 1620/1622, which concern North Dakota’s entry into the physician assistant licensure compact. The Board said it is waiting on compact rules, especially fee structures, before finalizing its own rules. The committee then took up extensive Office of Management and Budget personnel rule revisions, covering salary administration, recruitment, leave policies, funeral leave, service awards, appeals, and shared leave. OMB said the changes modernize HR practices and implement recent legislation, including new hire leave and enhanced annual leave for hard-to-fill positions; the committee raised concerns about the subjectivity and fairness of the hard-to-fill leave provisions, but no action was taken against the rules. The North Dakota Lottery presented emergency and regular rule changes, including updates tied to the Millionaire for Life game and miscellaneous clarifications. The Board of Examiners for Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology described rule updates that add speech-language pathology assistants to the rules, ease continuing education requirements for out-of-state applicants, expand temporary licensure, and clarify supervision standards. The State Electrical Board reviewed numerous code updates, including changes to electrical and fire alarm standards, receptacle labeling, countertop receptacles, and a major new conveyance/elevator inspection program added by the Legislature; the board said it is preparing to begin inspections by August 1. The Industrial Commission’s Geological Survey Division presented new rules implementing House Bill 1459 on critical minerals in coal-bearing formations, including permit, reporting, confidentiality, and royalty-related provisions. The committee asked about confidentiality of exploration data and drilling depth. The Public Employees Retirement System outlined rule changes implementing several bills affecting defined benefit, public safety, defined contribution, insurance, deferred compensation, and retiree health credit programs, and noted possible future proposals to add state EMS or create a LOSAP-style plan. The Department of Health and Human Services presented substance use disorder voucher rules implementing House Bill 1012, including allowing individuals to apply directly and setting reimbursement procedures; the rules were expected to have a $250,000 general fund impact already included in the budget. The longest discussion involved the Gaming Commission rules. Members questioned whether the commission had authority to raise poker tournament buy-ins from $300 to $1,500, viewing it as an expansion of gaming rather than a mere clarification. After debate, the committee voted to void that specific rule section for lack of statutory authority. The rest of the gaming rules covered higher raffle limits from House Bill 1192, the change from “bar” to “alcoholic beverage establishment,” veterans’ organization proceeds, credit ticket voucher kiosks, online raffles, and advertising restrictions; the presenter said several public comments led to revisions or withdrawals of proposed language. The meeting ended with discussion of upcoming Ethics Commission travel-reporting rules and scheduling the next committee meeting in September.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of the artificial intelligence advisory of the artificial intelligence advisory council. council
• And as was noted, there is an existing advisory council.
• There isn't any advisory council.
• Uh, this is another question about the membership on the advisory council.
• Uh, this is another question about the membership on the advisory council.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that is yet another advisory forum that we host.
• We're going to move on to the Marine Resources Advisory Council update. Betsy Peabody, Dr.
• Council.
• My name is Betsy Peabody, and I am chair of the Marine Resources Advisory Council.
• I previously served on the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council.

Committee: Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• The office provides support to the Florida Faith and Community Advisory Council, Of the initiative.
• as a formal advisory council to the governor and the legislature.
• That was an advisory council versus what the Office of Faith and Community does now. Can you?
• So the Faith Advisory Council, Florida's Faith and Advisory Council, Senator Polsky, was established
• council giving guidance. 2019 by Governor DeSantis, the advisory council giving guidance and advice

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met with a quorum and considered a series of bills, most of them receiving favorable reports. SB 132, as amended, would require the Department of Financial Services to contract for a study on whether Florida should recognize gold and silver as legal tender; an amendment advanced the report deadline to December 1, 2025, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 1050, also amended, expands the intellectual and developmental disabilities managed care pilot program statewide, emphasizes that enrollment is voluntary, adds transparency and reporting requirements for APD, creates a statewide family care council, and requires related studies and coordination; it was reported favorably after supportive testimony about reducing the APD wait list. SB 820 codifies the Office of Faith and Community in the Governor’s office, and the bill drew extended debate over church-state separation and concerns about political activity by the office; despite opposition from several senators, it was reported favorably. SB 1060 creates a joint legislative oversight committee for Medicaid financing and operations, with supporters citing the size of the program and the need for stronger legislative review; it passed favorably. SB 7032 presumes Medicaid eligibility for permanently disabled individuals receiving certain long-term services during redetermination, to prevent gaps in care, and was reported favorably with broad support. SB 12, a claim bill for a minor injured in a DCF-related case, was also reported favorably without opposition. The committee also approved several infrastructure and tax-related measures. SJR 318 proposes an ad valorem exemption for certain tangible personal property used in agriculture or agritourism, such as equipment and tractors, and was reported favorably with support from agricultural and business groups. SB 818, as amended, revises utility relocation funding for public road and rail projects, shifting the financing structure after constitutional concerns were raised and adding a $50 million grant program; it passed after discussion of the impact on local governments and utilities. SB 1348 modernizes DMV services through tax collectors, adds a distracted driving course option, bans appointment scalping, and extends certain disabled parking permit terms; it was reported favorably. SB 1664 requires voter reapproval of local taxes, including tourist development taxes and local option sales taxes, when they expire, with special rules for taxes tied to revenue bonds; it drew significant debate over impacts on tourism-dependent counties and was reported favorably despite opposition from some members and local government groups. SB 1050, SB 820, SB 1060, SB 7032, SB 12, SJR 318, SB 818, SB 1348, and SB 1664 all received favorable committee votes, and the meeting ended with final missed-vote requests and adjournment.

Bills: HB3767 , HB3934 , HB4199 , HB4336 , HB2947 , HB3834 , HB4302 , HB4095 , HB3287 , HB3649 , HB4430 , HB4431 , HB2059 , HB3647 , HB3986 , HB3548 , HB3661 , HB4346 , HB3075 , HB4273 , HB3391 , HB4128 , HB3557 , HB3239 , HB3982 , HB2123 , HB2979 , HB2997 , HB3148 , HB4108 , HB4143 , HB4266 , HB2053 , HB4058 , SR30

Keywords: controlled dangerous substances, controlled substances, drug scheduling, Schedule I, Schedule IV, anti-drug diversion, drug diversion, synthetic opioids, fentanyl analogs, designer drugs, synthetic cannabinoids, benzodiazepines, benzodiazepine analogs, opioids, hallucinogens, depressants, pharmacy regulation, narcotics control, Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, DEA scheduling

Transcript Highlights:

• of becoming involved in Child Protection and have no desire to work with a child protection social worker
• In child protection and have no desire to work with a child protection social worker, so our stance has
• </c> the maternal and child health advisory the maternal and child health advisory task<00:48:05.319>
• As midwives, we cannot afford to take Medicaid clients without additional compensation.
• compensation midwives meet with<01:10:23.920><c> clients</c><01:10:24.920><c> over</c><01:10:25.159>

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• As far as the workers go, is there a term that they can be in?
• As far as the workers go, is there a term that they can be in?
• Those people have to be compensated. They have to be paid.
• We're starting people at $20 an hour, and it's hard to get workers.
• that council.

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The committee heard several public safety and criminal justice bills. AB 837 by Assembly Member Davies would add ketamine transportation to existing drug-trafficking law; supporters, including district attorneys and law enforcement groups, said the bill closes a loophole and addresses a growing public safety threat, while opponents argued increased penalties do not reduce drug supply and can discourage people from seeking help. The bill passed on a due pass as amended vote to Appropriations. AB 352 by Assembly Member Pacheco would make threats against judges and court commissioners an aggravating factor in sentencing; supporters cited rising threats to the judiciary, while opponents said existing law already covers threats and aggravating factors. The committee approved it on a due pass vote to Appropriations. AB 938 by Assembly Member Bonta would expand vacature and affirmative defense relief for survivors of human trafficking, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence, including for some violent offenses, and featured powerful testimony from survivor Susan Bustamante and vacature expert Jamie Beck. Supporters said the bill would let survivors tell their full stories and seek justice; opponents, including district attorneys and sheriffs, warned it could go too far by covering violent crimes and could affect public safety. The chair recommended an aye, and the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 475 by Assembly Member Wilson would make prison work assignments voluntary and was framed as part of efforts to end involuntary servitude; supporters linked it to rehabilitation and racial justice, while one member opposed it as inconsistent with accountability and the will of voters. The measure was moved on but left on call pending additional votes. AB 704 by Assembly Member Lowenthal would allow people convicted of low-level misdemeanors before age 26 to petition to seal and destroy records, with supporters emphasizing brain development and the limits of expungement in the digital age. District attorneys opposed it over Brady/discovery concerns and the destruction of records, but the chair recommended aye and it passed to Appropriations. AB 812 by Assembly Member Lowenthal would expand resentencing opportunities for incarcerated firefighters; supporters highlighted the rigor of fire camp work and rehabilitation benefits, while the district attorneys’ association opposed giving firefighters independent petition authority. Testimony on AB 812 was still underway at the end of the excerpt, and no final vote was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• The retirement system has a limit of one year of time on workers' compensation eligibility applying to
• I mean, a year off on workers' compensation is unusual. At least we thought so.
• Neither the retirement system nor workers' compensation carriers nor any of the unions has an idea of
• </c> dis on workers compensation dis on workers compensation is<00:44:08.079><c> unusual.
• ><c> any</c><00:44:26.160><c> of</c> workers compensation carriers nor any of workers compensation carriers

Summary: The Finance Committee met on October 30 to act on a series of bills that had been considered during the budget process, with many being recommended for inexpedient to legislate because their funding or policy language had already been handled in House Bill 2. Early actions were largely unanimous. House Bill 54, allowing alternate treatment centers to operate for profit, was recommended ought to pass and was approved 25-0, then placed on the consent calendar because it carried no appropriation. House Bill 97, a wastewater and infrastructure appropriation, was recommended inexpedient to legislate because its funding had been replaced in HB 2; Representative Rum opposed the motion and argued the grant funding helps local taxpayers and housing development, but the committee adopted ITL 14-11, with a minority report to follow. House Bill 111, dealing with the right-to-know ombudsman, was also unanimously recommended ITL because the budget had already made related reforms. The committee then took up House Bill 164, and adopted Amendment 225-2979H, which appropriates $150,000 in FY 2027 to the Secretary of State’s Division of Archives and Records Management for a local government records manager position. The amended bill was then recommended ought to pass as amended and approved 25-0. House Bill 197, the Property Tax Relief Act, drew the most extended debate. Supporters said it would restore a state contribution to retirement costs for local employers and provide property tax relief, while opponents argued the earlier change was largely offset by employee contribution increases and other retirement-system adjustments. The committee ultimately adopted ITL 14-11, and a minority report was requested. The committee also acted on House Bill 215, a landfill-related bill. Members explained that most of its language had been included in HB 2 but was removed in conference, so the bill was retained and amended to apply more narrowly to new landfills. Amendment 2025-2970H was adopted unanimously, and the bill was then recommended ought to pass as amended by a 25-0 vote. House Bill 216, which would change retirement eligibility rules for certain workers injured on the job, was recommended inexpedient to legislate after its sponsor said the fiscal impact was too uncertain to support. Finally, House Bill 219 received Amendment 2025-2988H to change its effective date to July 1, 2027, and discussion began on the bill’s broader purpose of returning about $5.7 million annually from RPS funds to ratepayers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Whip, Representative Blackman, we are only closing the Civil Rights Division Advisory Board.
• I do believe that the advisory board might have been a voluntary board—or not a board, an advisory board—but
• The advisory board was more of a PR arm. ...is under the AG's. That was continued.
• The advisory board was more of a PR arm, where they would go out and put things out in the communities
• the legislative intent for fiscal year 2027 that the charges against the county, cities, towns, councils

Summary: The meeting covered a series of fiscal year 2027 budget and budget-related bills, beginning with the general appropriations and tax package. Staff and the chair highlighted a budget built around about $1.4 billion in tax cuts, a one-time 2.5% agency reduction, major funding for state employee health insurance, corrections, flood and wildfire relief, and other supplemental appropriations. The chair repeatedly urged support for the package, emphasizing the size of the tax cut and noting that the committee’s joint vote had only three no votes out of 28 members. Members then reviewed several smaller budget implementation bills affecting racing and gambling, capital outlay, commerce and defense innovation, corrections, environment and water policy, higher education, human services, K-12 education, county finance, tax administration, state data governance, and state office rent rates. Key provisions included extending or modifying funds and fee structures, transferring surplus or unneeded monies, creating or revising oversight boards and pilot programs, increasing K-12 funding by 2% for inflation, adjusting university retention limits, expanding SNAP and housing-related requirements, and changing tax conformity and credits. Several members asked clarifying questions about specific items such as electric vehicle charging funds, mobile home relocation payments, university funding, and the new health insurance oversight board. The chair also explained the tax bill’s major changes, including conformity to federal tax law, a larger dependent tax credit, changes to deductions, repeal of certain tax credits, veteran property tax relief, limits on data center tax incentives, and provisions affecting manufacturing infrastructure and unemployment insurance administration. The committee discussed the Budget Stabilization Fund, debt repayment, and education rollover balances, with the chair arguing for using surpluses to pay down debt. The final item discussed was a behavioral health bill creating a home and community-based services program for adults determined to be seriously mentally ill, with a stated FY 2027 total fund appropriation of $7.8 million contingent on federal approval and matching funds. The meeting ended with a reminder that floor action would begin the next day at 10 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• The next portion of the bill relates to legislative management and legislative council.
• It includes Energy Council dues of $38,400 annually. It includes IT expenses of $221,607.
• The total amount of general fund for the Legislative Council budget is $27,418,820. Mr.
• that the 15th floor is the best place to move Legislative Council.
• The 15th floor is also the best place to move Legislative Council.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, pledge, and roll call, establishing a quorum. It then took up a series of appropriations and policy bills, with the most extensive debate centered on Senate Bill 2025, the Department of Veterans Affairs budget. The House approved amendments that shifted governance of the department and veterans’ home from ACOVA to the governor, citing concerns about ACOVA’s salary-setting actions and broader appropriation oversight. Members opposed to the change argued ACOVA had studied compensation and acted within its role. The amended bill passed 57-34, and the final bill passed 69-22 with the emergency clause carrying. The House also passed Senate Bill 2001, the legislative branch budget, which funds the 2027 session, legislative staff, chamber upgrades, IT improvements, and salary adjustments for legislative leaders; the bill passed 62-29, but the emergency clause failed. Senate Bill 2019, the Career and Technical Education budget, passed 82-10 with emergency clause. Senate Bill 2021, the Information Technology Department budget, passed 75-17 after discussion of data center migration, service automation, mainframe transition, ERP study, and DPI’s move from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus. Other measures passed included Senate Bill 2228 for rural grocery store sustainability grants, Senate Bill 2390 creating a rural catalyst community grant program, Senate Bill 2188 adjusting the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority, and Senate Bill 2265 authorizing a veterans national cemetery grant and line of credit with added reporting safeguards. Several House bills returned from the Senate were concurred in and then passed, including House Bill 1361 on mandatory minimum sentences for human trafficking offenders, House Bill 1017 for the Game and Fish Department, House Bill 1588 on firearms and dangerous weapons provisions, House Bill 1429 on harassment and stalking involving robots, House Bill 1591 on county fair resiliency grants, House Bill 1537 on service agreement protection for water projects, House Bill 1203 on edible medical marijuana products, and House Bill 1027 transferring administration of the State Fire and Tornado Fund from the Insurance Commissioner to OMB. The House also rejected a motion to reconsider Senate Bill 2307, which dealt with library materials and obscenity-related restrictions, by a vote of 48-51. In addition, the chamber appointed conference committees on several House and Senate measures where concurrence had failed, and laid over Senate Bill 2340 for two legislative days.

Transcript Highlights:

• having challenges finding those people, or do you feel comfortable in terms of the supply chain of workers
• And then we have an interagency team that tries to pull all that together, an advisory council, and various
• We actually asked our independent science advisory panel those exact questions we talked about earlier
• from the Wildfire Solutions Coalition, commenting on behalf of coalition members: the Area Business Council
• , Association of California Water Agencies, California Farm, Coalition members: Sierra Business Council

Transcript Highlights:

• compensation</c><00:10:36.880><c> increases</c><00:10:37.600><c> in</c> needed the compensation increases
• will be covered underneath that compensation increase.
• They did fully Wyoming business council.
• </c><00:19:59.039><c> and</c> restore the Wyoming Business Council and restore the Wyoming Business Council
• Council. The restoration was $36,000 Council.

Bills: SF0032 , SF0010 , SF0001 , HB0001

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• Several examples, and I'll let the councils weigh in because they were part of this discussion.
• recommend if you agree and think that a definition would be helpful, that you probably issue an advisory
• That was the original advisory opinion written by the first board that pulled in a bunch of old Senate
• So my advice or my request is I think we should issue a new advisory opinion that would then...
• that nobody in their outside employment can have a job that involves lobbying the legislature, be compensated

Summary: The Legislative Ethics Board approved the minutes from its September 8, 2025 meeting and noted that there were no employment disclosure forms to review. The board then discussed several ethics advisory issues raised by staff, including how to define a “letter of recommendation” under RCW 42.52.187(1). Staff explained that the statute allows legislators to send recommendation letters for requesting constituents, but questions had arisen about whether that includes letters for citizenship, clemency/pardon, immigration waivers, and similar matters. Board members generally favored a broader interpretation, and staff was directed to draft an advisory opinion for review. The board also considered a new statutory provision allowing commemorations or celebrations of Washington State historical events, holidays, or persons who are not current legislators. Members discussed whether this language permits posts about teams like the Mariners or Seahawks, or whether it is limited to individual people. The discussion leaned toward a plain-language reading that the provision is broad enough to cover entities and teams, though some members suggested the language may need cleanup in the future. Finally, the board revisited a previously retired advisory opinion concerning whether a legislator who is also an attorney may represent clients before state agencies. Staff said a new opinion might be useful because the old one relied on outdated law, but several members raised concerns that republishing it could create confusion about outside legal work and the use of legislative title. The item was left for further revision and brought back at a future meeting. There was no public testimony, and the meeting adjourned after a brief expression of condolences to staff and a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mary Bethus, Dartmouth Health, chair of the New Hampshire Rare Disease Advisory Council, to give the
• </c><01:13:35.520><c> Council</c> Hampshire rare disease advisory Council Hampshire rare disease advisory
• So I just wanted to give you a little bit of an overview of the Rare Disease Advisory Council. start
• So I'm proud to say that New Hampshire was the first rare disease advisory council in New England, and
• So I'm proud to say that New Hampshire was the first rare disease advisory council in New England, and

Summary: The committee met on March 28 for a Health and Human Services Oversight Committee meeting, approved the draft minutes from February 21, and then received updates from DHHS on the sudden termination of about $80 million in federal COVID-era funding. Commissioner Lori Weaver and Trisha Tilly said the funding had been expected to continue through September 2026, but an email ending it immediately created a 15-month budget gap. They explained that most of the money supported public health work, especially epidemiology, laboratory capacity, data systems, community health workers, outbreak response, and some behavioral health supports. DHHS said it had notified contractors, was reassessing which activities could continue, and had managed to avoid layoffs for its 20 affected staff by shifting funding sources, though some contract lab staff had to leave and some work would stop or be put on hold. Senators and representatives asked about impacts on labs, staffing, and the state budget lapse, and DHHS said the water lab and testing supplies would be affected and that the department was trying to backfill where possible with other federal funds. The committee then heard a maternal mortality report from the Maternal Mortality Review Committee. Alison Power and Caroline Naami explained that the MMRC reviews maternal deaths to identify contributing factors and make recommendations, and that it had completed one CDC grant and received another five years of funding. For 2023, the state recorded five pregnancy-associated deaths, including three from overdose, two from cardiovascular causes, and one homicide; the share of deaths related to substance use fell from 62.5% in 2022 to 40% in 2023. Over the 2019–2023 period, half of pregnancy-related deaths were due to overdose, most occurred postpartum, and many involved Medicaid recipients, transportation or financial barriers, and deaths at home. The committee said mental health and substance use remained the main drivers of maternal mortality, but that 79% of pregnancy-related deaths in the five-year aggregate were considered preventable. Presenters highlighted recommendations and ongoing interventions, including expanding Medicaid coverage through one year postpartum, strengthening behavioral health access, partnering with the Department of Corrections on care for pregnant and postpartum women, and continuing clinical education through the Northern New England Perinatal Quality Improvement Network. Members asked why the maternal mortality rate had declined in recent years; staff said the 2021 spike was tied to the pandemic and that recent declines likely reflected both that spike and the impact of interventions, though the small number of cases makes trends hard to interpret. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also had the recent privilege of serving on the SB 882 Advisory Council on improving interactions between
• All right, the Child Care Provider United, SEIU California State Council, United Domestic Workers, UDW
• It establishes the California Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council within the California Health and
• It establishes the California Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council within the California Health and
• It establishes the California Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council within the California Health and

Committee: Senate Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> levels of workers compensation. levels of workers compensation.
• Well, one thing I think we need to do is recruit more practitioners in the area of workers' compensation
• There is a sore lack of particularly young people coming into the field of workers' compensation.
• There is a sore workers' compensation.
• '</c> into the the field of workers' into the the field of workers' compensation. compensation. compensation

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Summary: The committee heard and acted on several gubernatorial nominations to the Hawaii Workforce Development Council and one nomination to the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board. For GM 779, Mark Fong Su Wat said he would bring his experience as an electrician and labor community member to workforce development, and he committed to serving if confirmed. Testimony was unanimously supportive, with 10 in support and none opposed, and the committee voted to recommend advise and consent; the recommendation was adopted. For GM 792, Sheryl Cross sought a second term on the Workforce Development Council and described her work on employer engagement, military veteran affairs, and military spouse employment. In response to questions, she emphasized the need to better connect military spouses, underrepresented workers, and students pursuing trades or non-college pathways to jobs, including through school academies and online hiring initiatives. The item was held for later decision-making. For GM 793, Ashley Lohua, also nominated to the Workforce Development Council, said her focus would be helping people stay in Hawaii by improving job retention, listening to community concerns, and building pathways between sectors. Support testimony highlighted her work with marginalized communities and her empathy and leadership. She told the committee she would use her nonprofit and HR experience to help address vacancies and workforce barriers; the item was also held for later decision-making. For GM 774, Douglas Thomas Moore, nominated to the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board, said his first priority would be reducing the backlog. He proposed using informal conferences and mediation to speed workers’ compensation appeals and suggested recruiting more practitioners, especially younger ones, into the field. The committee noted 11 supportive testimonies and no opposition; no vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It doesn't matter whether they're a diversity officer or, you know, a sanitation worker.
• Since 30% of our more than 3,500 workers, American workers at SIG, are prior veterans or prior law enforcement
• Since 30% of our more than 3,500 workers, American workers at SIG, are prior veterans or prior law enforcement
• Board, the Asian American Advisory Board, and Hispanic Advisory Board for the first time ever.
• So all the advisory panels you just named are not affected by the bill. Got it.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee took up a long agenda of bills, beginning with SB 1434 on infill redevelopment. A late-filed strike-all narrowed eligibility to certain properties in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, added environmental and zoning criteria, and included exemptions for agricultural land, parks, military-adjacent land, and other areas. The amendment was adopted without opposition, and the bill was reported favorably 8-0. The committee then heard SB 212 on sexual offenders and predators, as amended to add public swimming pools and related child-centered locations to residency and presence restrictions. Testimony was sharply divided, with supporters emphasizing child safety and opponents arguing the bill lacked empirical support and would worsen homelessness and impose retroactive burdens. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably 8-1. Members next approved SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after adopting an amendment allowing certain enclaves adjacent to interstate highways to be developed for commercial, industrial, or single-family residential uses while clarifying protections for critical areas, the Florida Wildlife Corridor, and military installations. The bill drew opposition from a county Republican committee representative who argued it would weaken zoning and comprehensive planning and encourage urban sprawl, while homebuilders and industry groups supported it. The committee also reported favorably SB 554 on nonprofit corporations, a Florida Bar-backed update intended to modernize and harmonize nonprofit corporate law, and SB 1338 on charitable giving, which would create donor remedies for endowment restrictions and limit state reporting burdens on certain charitable organizations; members noted the latter would need further work on cy pres and related issues. The committee then approved SB 532 on court fees after a strike-all that would let clerks retain all collections above revenue projections rather than splitting excess with general revenue, with clerks’ groups supporting the change and members citing long-standing funding shortfalls. SB 218 on land use regulations was also reported favorably; it would restore normal land-use authority to counties unaffected by the 2024 hurricanes while keeping SB 180 protections in place for damaged areas. SB 692 on cybersecurity standards and liability passed 9-2 after debate over whether the bill created enough compliance incentives and whether its liability presumption was retroactive; supporters said it would encourage adoption of cybersecurity frameworks and reduce class-action litigation, while opponents wanted stronger compliance requirements. Finally, SB 1138 on qualified contractors was amended and passed unanimously as a process-reform measure allowing licensed professionals to conduct pre-application reviews, and SJR 1104 on religious expression in public schools was reported favorably 8-3 after extensive testimony and debate over whether it would protect free expression or invite coercion and litigation. The committee also began consideration of SB 1106 on requiring state agencies and instructional materials to use “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank,” with the sponsor framing it as historical accuracy and opponents arguing it erased Palestinian identity; the transcript cuts off during that item.

Transcript Highlights:

• Such as the Indian Education Advisory Council, the Black Education Advisory Council, and the Federally
• advisory councils are set up.
• Collaborate and really leverage our advisory councils.
• I have a question regarding the advisory councils, Mr. Chair.
• So the advisory councils, what role...