Transcript Highlights:

• So, um, there may be some audits.
• Is it a six-month process? Is it a three-month process?
• Is it a Is it a six-month process? Is it a three-month<00:50:57.359> process?
• <01:25:48.880> And engaged in that whole process. And engaged in that whole process.
• process because it feels like a log jam. process because it feels like a log jam.

Bills: HR1

Keywords: January 6 insurrection, pardon, law enforcement, violent crimes, public safety, justice system, political accountability, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• In HB 750, the cancellation process should be as easy as the process for signing up.
• There's no appeal process on these amendments. I think an appeal process is very important.
• You know, what's, I think, hugely successful to America is the democracy process and the process that
• I also wanted to address the appeals process.
• process through the court system.

Summary: The Senate Commerce Committee met on May 6, 2026, with five members present and approved the prior meeting minutes. The committee first heard HB 750, a “click-to-cancel” consumer protection bill requiring subscription cancellations to be as easy as sign-up and to be available through the same method used to subscribe. An amendment was adopted, testimony included support from labor and consumer advocates and opposition from some business groups, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then took up SB 414, which was narrowed to cap interest on medical debt at 3%. After reconsidering and replacing prior amendments, the committee adopted the new amendment set and reported the bill favorably as amended. HB 799, concerning inspection licensing for elevators, escalators, and boilers, was presented by the State Fire Marshal and reported favorably with little discussion. The longest discussion centered on HB 953, a major plumbing workforce and licensing reform bill. The bill was amended substantially: the original proposal to move plumbing oversight to the Contractors Board was removed, the plumbing board remained in place, apprenticeship and journeyman/master plumber hour requirements were revised, penalties and reporting requirements were added, and language was included to support workforce development and reentry training. The committee heard both support and opposition, including clarification from the State Plumbing Board that it already has an appeals process through the courts, and HB 953 was reported favorably as amended. Finally, HB 220, the “PROTECT Act,” was heard to require covered online platforms to maintain a clear and usable mechanism for reporting child sexual abuse material and exploitation. An amendment was adopted to account for platforms that require registration to access content, testimony was supportive, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. HB 952 was deferred, and HB 827, a related plumbing workforce bill, was amended to align more closely with HB 953 but then failed a motion to defer by roll call vote, allowing it to remain pending. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• obviously they're 607 factor process obviously they're 607 >> yeah<04:00:29.359> so<04:
• that would come potential federal audits that would come from<04:28:39.920> that<04:28:40.399
• So these for potential federal audit.
• Um, you can provide a license, you can walk folks all the way through the process, but unless there's
• There's been a lot of roadblocks to that audit. I believe it's expected out this spring.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We stress our technology, we stress our processes.
• We again pressure-test all of our processes.
• , which then my office audited.
• Audited.
• audit.

Summary: The committee met to hear invited presentations on storm recovery and storm protection from the Florida Public Service Commission, Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy, Tampa Electric, Chesapeake Utilities, and the Office of Public Counsel. The PSC reviewed the history of storm restoration financing and utility hardening efforts after major storms such as Hurricane Andrew, the 2004-05 hurricane seasons, Irma, and Michael, explaining storm reserve funds, storm recovery bonds, and the current three-year storm protection plan process. The commission’s role in approving plans and later reviewing prudence of actual costs was emphasized, along with the types of work included in the plans such as vegetation management, pole replacement, undergrounding, feeder hardening, and substation flood protection. The utilities described their own storm-hardening investments and recent storm performance. FPL said it has spent about $4.9 billion on storm protection and recovery-related efforts, highlighted improved restoration times during Helene and Milton, and said it is expanding undergrounding, feeder hardening, and smart-grid technology. Duke Energy reported more than 40,000 hardened poles and structures since 2021, major gains from self-healing grid technology, and faster restoration during recent storms. Tampa Electric described a roughly $200 million annual storm protection effort, including vegetation management, undergrounding, substation hardening, and new storm surge protections, and Chesapeake Utilities discussed its smaller-scale hardening program, vegetation work, pole replacement, and rapid restoration after Helene in Nassau County. Committee members asked about how utilities prioritize neighborhoods for lateral hardening, whether maps of planned projects could be shared, how much each utility has spent on undergrounding and hardening, and how reliability comparisons are normalized against the national average. Public Counsel Walt Trierweiler argued that storm recovery and hardening costs fall too heavily on investor-owned utility customers, said the current framework lacks a meaningful cost-benefit or prudence check at the planning stage, and urged broader sharing of storm costs because the benefits extend to the whole state. Senators also discussed whether the commission can review the reasonableness of approved programs and whether future reports or recommendations from Public Counsel would be helpful. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, does NIH audit every year the way these grants are being spent? They don't audit every year.
• There's a process for determining.
• But every penny that we spend on overhead that's not being audited, and you know as much as I do, Doc
• The fact is that I wish we were as concerned about auditing the Department of Defense as we are about
• auditing these resources. grants.

Transcript Highlights:

• . process. process.
• similar to the previous bill some audits similar to the previous bill that<00:36:10.400> was<
• not willing to do away with the process not willing to do away with the process um<01:00:53.440>
• As I understand it, that process is sort of continually expanding.
• So again, the first process in Roman 2, sub A, right?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:17:57.120> recycling, transport, and processing, recycling, transport, and processing
• in the enforcement process. in the enforcement process.
• it should be an expedient uh process. it should be an expedient uh process.
• plan rate setting processes. plan rate setting processes.
• will be duly processed. will be duly processed.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Democrats codified this nonfeasance when they passed a law gutting the Senate confirmation process
• I've also been blessed to be a member of the Legislative Audit Commission, also the chair and the vice
• But as you're aware, in January, you guys remember there was an OA report, legislative audit report for
• report for the um Department of audit report for the um Department of Human<00:20:59.840> Services
• So then the 10% legislators would come in and then analyze that audit that was done at a 5% spending

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Senate Republican leaders held a press event to roll out a package of anti-fraud proposals focused on state welfare and human services programs. Mark Johnson opened by citing recent fraud scandals, including a shuttered housing program and reports of vulnerable adults being left without care while providers billed for full services, and said Republicans want top-down reform, stronger accountability, new technology, and tighter oversight of taxpayer dollars. Michael Kreun said Republicans support an independent Office of Inspector General and argued the Senate-passed bill should not be weakened in the House; he also said the Senate should restore its role in confirming agency commissioners, especially at DHS, which he described as central to the fraud problem. Jordan Rasmusson outlined a plan to stop “blank checks” for DHS and DCYF services by requiring legislative audit review when a program exceeds budget by 5 percent and legislative approval for additional spending at 10 percent over budget. He also said DHS should adopt basic integrity tools such as electronic visit verification and client sign-off. Steve Drazkowski described two bills: a statewide “do-not-pay” list to block payments to ineligible people or entities, and an “I’m Not a Robot” proposal for Medicaid managed care that would require enrollee verification forms, with a 2 percent payment withhold used to encourage compliance and potentially fund county system upgrades. Mark Krueger said the state should improve technology and data use for eligibility determinations, citing other states’ rapid fraud-fighting systems, and proposed penalties for false reporting to the Legislative Auditor after a DHS audit found falsified site-visit records. Steve Gruenhagen said his bill would require DHS and DCYF to resume annual fraud-prevention and oversight reports to the legislature, which he said had stopped after 2017 despite rising fraud cases. Michael Holmstrom proposed unannounced site visits for all DHS and DCYF providers before enrollment, reenrollment, and revalidation, funded through provider service fees, and cited a recent case involving a woman with autism who was billed for far more care than she received. In the Q&A, Kreun said House Democrats’ delete-everything amendment to the inspector general bill removed the law enforcement division and stripped the bill of its “teeth,” and he suggested the governor’s office may have been involved in efforts to replace the bill with a weaker coordination council model. No votes were taken in the press conference.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:33:13.519> in original Bill hijacked the process in original Bill hijacked the process
• Thank you. mandate and will make the voting process mandate and will make the voting process more<00:
• <00:59:52.119> that education is conducting an audit that education is conducting an audit
• process supports an annual verification process proc<01:46:23.960> an<01:46:24.199> annual
• bring more consistency to the process bring more consistency to the process and<01:46:29.840>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:12:11.920> of that we were already in process of that we were already in process of making
• We have multi-state audit firms.
• We have multi-state audit firms.
• We have multi-state audit firms.
• We have multi-state audit firms.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the same process as if you had refused the breathalyzer.
• Are there indicators of impairment in any part of that process?
• Madam Chair, we wouldn't be in that process quite yet.
• It does allow for auditing, full-scale audits by the Health Resources and Services Administration.
• In fact, it allows manufacturers to demand audits themselves.

Transcript Highlights:

• . process. process.
• moving through the process as it were. moving through the process as it were.
• During the month of our most recent CCAP audit, I'm still unclear if an CCAP audit and investigation
• , I'm still unclear if an CCAP audit, I'm still unclear if an CCAP audit<00:10:31.560> and<00:
• We've participated in many audits. We've participated in many audits.

Bills: HF3542, HF3819

Keywords: data privacy, investigative data, welfare system, public funds, transparency, child care, licensing, inspections, compliance, program integrity, 1183, house

Summary: The committee took up House File 3542, authored by Representative Hudson, and first adopted the February 25 minutes. Hudson explained that the bill, as amended in a DE1, would require agencies to disclose to the public, legislators, or the press the existence of certain investigations only after the subject has been notified and the agency has decided to reduce, suspend, or withhold payments. He said the amendment was intended to avoid tipping off subjects before notification while still increasing transparency about investigations involving public funds. A separate A3 amendment was withdrawn after the DE1 was adopted. Several members questioned the bill’s scope and timing, asking what “existence of an investigation” meant and whether the proposal would disclose information before findings were complete. Hudson clarified that the bill was aimed at identifying who is being investigated, not revealing investigative details. The committee then heard extensive public testimony from child care providers and advocates, who opposed the bill and argued it would expose providers to harassment, threats, and stigma before any findings were made. Testifiers described recent threats, ICE-related disruptions, audits, overpayment findings, and the burden of CCAP compliance, saying the bill would punish providers for paperwork errors and worsen safety concerns, especially for Somali and other providers of color. A board member of the Minnesota Child Care Association also opposed the bill, saying providers had been chilled from speaking publicly because of death threats and harassment, and warning that disclosure of investigations could intensify that climate. In response, Hudson said the bill was not about targeting child care providers generally and was limited to confirmed ongoing investigations after notice to the subject. The committee then heard from Inspector General Keys, who explained that CCAP investigations are administrative, not criminal, and are based on evidence of repeated errors or financial misconduct rather than intentional fraud. He said the office looks for patterns beyond simple mistakes and that the bill’s notice requirement would not impede investigations. The discussion ended amid a brief procedural dispute over comments directed at Hudson, after which the chair returned to the bill and the Inspector General’s testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• is based on Tennessee law that provides guardrails and guidelines to the environmental rulemaking process
• , and monthly expenditures, and audits, and monthly expenditures, and budgets<00:29:31.200> online
• Beck, do you know how many municipalities are one or more years behind on getting their audits done?
• This is just a process in which we're going to ask each of you to consider.
• This is just a process in which we're going to ask each of you to consider.

Bills: SB23, SB71, SB105, SB109, SB115, SB131, SB148, SB165

Keywords: law enforcement, taser, restrained individuals, police procedures, civil rights, income tax, tax exemption, Alabama tax code, Section 40-18-3, civilian employees, Department of Defense, DoD, Armed Forces, military pay, combat zone, deployment, National Guard, Reserve components, emergency response, federal employees

Transcript Highlights:

• The witness said that grant administration also includes financial services staff processing payments
• recent 990 we have their audited recent 990 we have their audited financial<01:05:14.960> statements
• She helped me with admission at first and also, like, the whole process.
• She helped me with admission at first and also, like, the whole process.
• have your most recent 990 your audited have your most recent 990 your audited financials<01:31:36.000

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• If they failed, did they move to the embargo process?
• going to audit.
• So two years ago, we immediately began the process.
• Validation processes for 17025 and 17043. You are correct.
• We began the legal process to terminate that contract.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How what where is that in the process?
• missed the submittal process on that. missed the submittal process on that.
• "Um, the audit.
• but prior to the the well the audit but prior to the audit<02:51:00.319> um<02:51:01.120>
• audit and ethics. ethics. ethics.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:15:42.280> We<00:15:42.440> will processes across programs.
• We will processes across programs.
• So, we do have a team of process.
• For violating regulations and not including not following timelines for audits. >> Dr.
• because we know that's a lifetime process.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board met on January 12, 2026, to approve the December 10, 2025 minutes and continue finalizing its findings and recommendations. Members reviewed findings on administrative inefficiencies, Medicaid and workforce participation under HR 1, Medicaid budget growth, rural health transformation fund development, and provider tax/state-directed payment changes. The board approved a motion to change “pilot” to “partnership” in the workforce-related recommendation, and also adopted a technical amendment clarifying overlapping HCBS services by removing reference to adult daycare waiver services and revising the language to focus on reducing duplication, simplifying provider contracting, and standardizing processes across programs. A separate technical correction was noted to change “DMS” to “DPH” in the rural health transformation finding, to be handled in the final edits. Several findings drew discussion but no final substantive vote during the meeting. On the rural health transformation fund, Dr. Berg said Kentucky had done well in federal funding and noted limits on what could be shared publicly, while Commissioner Lee said a public website had been created and recommended the department reference be changed to the Department for Public Health. Finding five prompted extended discussion about provider taxes, state-directed payment reductions under HR 1, and whether the board should address the relationship between actuarial studies, MCO payments, and actual provider reimbursement more directly. Senator Meredith and others argued for a broader, more transparent baseline review of rates across provider groups, while Commissioner Lee said CMS will require certain fee schedule comparisons to Medicare beginning July 1, 2026, and that quarterly expenditure reports already go to LRC. The board did not finish resolving finding five during the meeting and agreed to return to it after staff prepared more explicit language. Members also discussed the possibility of an all-payers claims database as a better way to understand what is being paid across payers and services. No final vote on the full findings package was taken in the portion of the meeting provided, but the board did adopt the noted amendments and continued working through the remaining language.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:22:24.640> prepared<00:22:25.200> for public accounts and audits prepared for public
• accounts and audits prepared for the<00:22:25.600> sunset<00:22:26.159> committee.
• Yeah.<00:25:04.559> I<00:25:04.880> think<00:25:04.960> the<00:25:05.279> process
• I think the process that we're >> Yeah.
• I think the process that we're using<00:25:06.400> to<00:25:06.559> do<00:25:06.720>

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The A22 was a recommendation from the Office of the State Auditor to elevate the amount for the audit
• elevate the uh amount for the audit elevate the uh amount for the audit threshold<00:09:57.920><
• The healthy aging subcabinet will conduct an open planning process, a public statewide examination of
• The healthy aging plan will process.
• So disability is a natural part of the aging process, and we believe that... reading fine print when

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They are vertically integrated, so they are responsible for all aspects of cultivation, processing, and
• And this pre-approval process allows a department to see what's coming before patients experience it.
• So the original Pigford Black Farmer litigation licensure process began back in 2022, and a winner was
• So that process was a competitive comparative process, so the department stands by its process, but we'll
• need to defend that process.

Summary: The Health Professions and Program Subcommittee met to receive oversight briefings on Florida’s medical marijuana program from the Department of Health’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use (OMMU) and from the University of Florida’s Consortium for Medical Marijuana Clinical Outcomes Research. OMMU Director Christopher Kimball outlined the program’s structure, including more than 900,000 active patients, nearly 7,000 caregivers, 27 MMTC licensees, 706 dispensing locations, and nine certified testing labs. He described the state’s pre-approval process for products and advertising, plain packaging requirements, seed-to-sale tracking, registry operations, and compliance efforts such as background checks, inspections, complaint investigations, and lab desk audits. He also said the Bureau of Public Health Laboratories in Jacksonville had been accredited to begin supporting testing. Members asked about telehealth, patient growth, product safety, advertising to children, inspections, and the status of MMTC licensure; Kimball said recertifications by telehealth now make up more than half of recertifications, that patient growth has slowed, and that ongoing litigation is delaying issuance of 22 new MMTC licenses. Kimball also discussed implementation of recent legislation and licensure changes, including licenses issued under HB 387 and SB 1582 to applicants from the original Pigford-related pool, with additional cure opportunities still ongoing. He said the department is monitoring diversion, inversion, and unapproved products, and that it coordinates with law enforcement when needed but does not itself have sworn authority. In response to questions, he said the department does not regulate physicians directly, but may refer concerns to the Division of Medical Quality Assurance, and that caregiver and physician participation requirements are set by statute. Members raised concerns about edibles, child access, and continued use of child-attractive branding; Kimball said the department tries to catch issues through pre-approval and enforcement, and that complaints involving children are treated as serious and investigated using available records and camera footage. Dr. Almond Winterstein then presented the consortium’s research overview. He explained that the consortium was created by statute in 2019, includes 10 universities, and is funded by annual state appropriations. He said its work includes grants, a research repository, a clinical core, outreach, and evidence synthesis, including a recent FDA-supported review of cannabis evidence. He emphasized that the current evidence base is limited and often low quality, with the strongest signals for symptom relief in PTSD-related symptoms, nausea, and some pain outcomes, but with many studies inconclusive or mixed. He also described the consortium’s use of registry data linked to Medicaid, Medicare, death, fetal death, and birth records to study safety and outcomes, including children, pregnancy, driving safety, opioid-sparing effects, and adverse events. Winterstein said adverse event reporting is sparse and likely underreported, with most reports mild but some serious events noted, and he expressed concern about use among young adults because of uncertain benefit-risk and possible effects on the developing brain. The committee discussed the need for better surveillance, more robust adverse event reporting, and the possibility of using linked data to identify harms more quickly. At the end of the meeting, the committee rose without objection.