Transcript Highlights:

• million plus of vehicles in the system million plus of vehicles in the system um<00:36:13.599>
• <00:36:47.640> that<00:36:47.760> would a system that would a system that would allow
• <00:50:44.599> um employees within our state system um employees within our state system um
• <00:52:06.680> for Statewide coverage to compensate for Statewide coverage to compensate for
• disability applications Legacy system disability applications Legacy system errors<01:15:09.199>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chancellor Olen his cabinet and system Chancellor Olen his cabinet and system staff<00:14:21.800
• When we look at, for example, as a system and what our system costs are in relation to other systems
• <01:20:04.760> costs as a system and what our system costs as a system and what our system
• <01:20:07.760> um are in relation to other systems um are in relation to other systems um
• since 1999 when um after the the system since 1999 when um after the the system was<01:26:55.360

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um however, these correction system.
• On line 65, there's a workers' compensation fund operating adjustment for the workers' compensation..
• Moving on to the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals on line 108, there's a workers' compensation
• Moving on to the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals on line 108, there's a workers' compensation
• ,<00:55:31.680> unemployment wage, workers compensation, unemployment wage, workers compensation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He most recently served as staff counsel for the State Compensation Insurance Fund.
• It's about information and not about restricting compensation. Thank you, Senator.
• Advanced driving assistance systems are an ubiquitous feature in California.
• Advanced driving assistance systems are an ubiquitous feature in California.
• SB 1054 provides for the collection of that data element and integration into the system that...

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• >>Vice Chair Koster: Up first is PCB JGB 26 - 01, Trust Funds of the State Board System by Chair Maney
• Financial Officer to close out and remove the trust fund from the state's accounting and finance system
• and the compensation they do require or the  Petitions they do not receive compensation from can be
• PREDICTABLE FAIR SYSTEM FOR TAXPAYERS WHILE ENSURING INMATE ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE, THAT IS THE BILL
• REIMBURSEMENT RATES AND THERE IS AN ADJUSTMENT OF COMPENSATION FOR HOSPITAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

Transcript Highlights:

• uh EFS, the enterprise financial system. uh EFS, the enterprise financial system.
• I have a compensation question. Kush. I have a compensation question.
• I'm just thinking compensation. >> Okay. I'm just thinking compensation.
• > system emergency reporting information system emergency reporting information system where<01
• up. across the system applications are up. across the system by<01:37:54.719> 122%.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Workers' compensation is a vital program protecting these workers, and waiving it simply so businesses
• Workers' compensation is a vital program protecting these workers, and waiving it simply so businesses
• Independent insurance producers are not a marginal part of the system.
• At its core, Senate Bill 2782 protects a system that works for consumers, for business owners, and for
• At its core, Senate Bill 2782 protects a system that works for consumers, for business owners, and for

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• levels of workers compensation. levels of workers compensation.
• . compensation. compensation.
• come into the system right away. come into the system right away.
• of the state system for about 10 years. of the state system for about 10 years.
• got to come up with a better system. got to come up with a better system.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

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:

• This is a significant increase from when the first time minimum compensation for teachers was last set
• So here's a chance for new teachers coming up through the system to just be exposed to it.
• So this is a systemic failure.
• and hopefully we will You know, be compensated.
• Yet despite these growing responsibilities, our compensation has remained stagnant.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on a large slate of bills, with most testimony focused on two main topics: improving access to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for students with disabilities, and raising educator pay statewide. On the AAC bills (House 514/Senate 418), parents, advocates, and attorneys described how AAC devices and communication books help nonverbal or minimally verbal children communicate, participate in class, and reduce frustration and behavioral issues. Testimony emphasized that while districts are generally required to provide devices, many teachers and school staff lack training to use them effectively; the bill would direct DESE to update licensure and training requirements so newly licensed teachers are prepared to support AAC users. Committee members asked about current teacher-prep practices, implementation, and whether DESE could act without legislation, and witnesses said the proposal was intended as a long-term solution and had previously received some support and compromise language. The committee also heard extensive testimony on House 733/Senate 370, which would set a statewide minimum salary of $70,000 for teachers and $55,000 for education support professionals (ESPs/paras), with inflation adjustments and a phase-in structure that would shift costs over time from the state to municipalities. Supporters, including the bill sponsor, MTA leaders, and school employees from several districts, argued that current pay is not a living wage, contributes to staffing shortages and turnover, and forces many educators to work multiple jobs or rely on public assistance. They said the bill would help recruit and retain staff and better reflect the importance of the work. Committee members raised questions about how the state would fund the mandate, how it would interact with Chapter 70 school aid and local budgets, whether other states have similar mechanisms, and whether the proposal could create disincentives for districts already paying above the floor. Witnesses pointed to the Student Opportunity Act, the Fair Share Amendment, and the need for a broader school funding formula review as possible parts of the solution. The committee also briefly heard and discussed Senate Bill 435/House Bill 736, which would require de-escalation training for school bus operators, with the training paid for by employers. The sponsor and a parent advocate said the bill was prompted by a school bus incident involving a child with cerebral palsy and epilepsy and would improve safety and reduce reliance on law enforcement. Members asked whether the bill should also cover bus monitors and other transportation staff, and whether private contractors and public operators currently provide similar training. At the end of the hearing, the chairs closed testimony on the full list of bills and adjourned the hearing without taking any votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• But we want to know that it's going to actually result in reduced fares and in better compensation for
• , a state-run workers' compensation program.
• The witness responded that they have seen less abuse of the legal system.
• of the legal system where in our study, we had a comparison with Illinois, and I know that Illinois
• I just would be covered through the regular system that everybody else uses for that system.

Summary: The Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee heard three bills. SB 371 by Senator Cabaldon would reduce uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage requirements for transportation network companies from $1 million to $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, with committee amendments adding findings and declarations, higher limits than originally proposed, and a joint study on UM/UIM impacts. Supporters, including Uber, Lyft, business groups, and some consumer advocates, argued the bill would lower fares and increase driver earnings by reducing insurance costs. Opponents, including consumer attorneys, labor groups, and consumer watchdog organizations, warned it would cut protections for riders and drivers and might not guarantee savings would be passed through. The committee approved SB 371 on a due-pass basis and re-referred it to Appropriations by a 9-0 vote. The committee then heard SB 716 by Senator Durazo, which would create a Home Internet Lifeline Program to let eligible low-income households apply Lifeline subsidies to home broadband service. Proponents said the bill addresses broadband affordability after the federal Affordable Connectivity Program expired, and that it would help students, workers, and families access reliable internet. Opponents from the wireless industry objected to the funding mechanism, arguing the surcharge would fall unfairly on wireless consumers, while one broadband group moved to neutral after amendments. The bill was approved on a due-pass basis and sent to Appropriations, but the roll was held open and later completed with the bill passing 7-1. The committee also took up SB 480 by Senator Archuleta relating to autonomous vehicles as a consent item, with no presentation or debate. It was approved on a due-pass basis and re-referred to Appropriations by a 9-0 vote. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly focused on affordability, consumer protection, and whether savings from the bills would actually reach riders, drivers, or households.

Transcript Highlights:

• . systems.
• I should also mention IT systems. There have been issues rolling out new IT systems.
• It's an overall systems issue.
• New Zealand operates under a no-fault system.
• Compensation and restoration.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill expands eligibility for victim compensation.
• So I will say that, first of all, the state system and...
• , the interactive video system has gone out.
• We believe that this would be helpful for those systems. Thank you.
• You know, we're trying to, because it's a rehabilitative system.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The fleet systems, yes, systems plural, purchased by DMS have not been implemented in a manner sufficient
• support for the system.
• in how we use the system.
• in how we use the system.
• There is a common data schema that is provided, and the system—they use our system, yeah.

Summary: The subcommittee first heard a lengthy Auditor General presentation on the Department of Management Services’ fleet management operations. The audit found major problems with oversight, recordkeeping, policies, fee-setting, purchase and disposal approvals, public auction controls, and FleetWave system access and processing. Key findings included that 2,279 vehicles valued at more than $57 million could not be matched between FleetWave and FLAIR, disposal records were missing or incomplete, user access remained active long after employees separated, and the department had not documented a reasonable basis for its $1.75 per-vehicle monthly fee. Members expressed strong concern about the accuracy of the state’s fleet inventory and the risk of waste or misuse. DMS Secretary Allende said the department concurred with the findings, was working with the Auditor General, and planned corrective actions, including better training, clearer guidance, improved reconciliation, and possible centralization or pilot programs for fleet purchasing and management. The committee then returned to vacancy discussions with several agencies. The Division of Administrative Hearings said its two long-vacant judges of compensation claims positions had been hard to fill because of low pay and short reappointment terms, but the chief judge said the division could operate without them and offered those positions up as part of a reduction exercise. The Public Service Commission reported 42 vacancies but said statutory deadlines were still being met, though staff workloads and depth of analysis were affected. The commission also said vacancies help it manage salaries within its trust-fund budget. Members questioned whether some of those positions were truly needed given the lack of delays. The Florida Gaming Control Commission reported 29 vacancies, including a vacant chair that prevented appointment of an inspector general, and said the chair vacancy was a gubernatorial appointment issue. The acting executive director also said the commission’s compulsive gambling prevention program had lapsed after no responsive bids were received for a new contract, but an invitation to negotiate was nearly complete and a new provider was expected soon. The Public Employee Relations Commission reported that its caseload had more than doubled after Senate Bill 256, which increased union recertification work; it said it was meeting deadlines only with overtime and that the workload had not fallen despite decertifications. Members asked for follow-up data on union cases, vacancy needs, and whether some positions across agencies could be reallocated to better match workload.

Transcript Highlights:

• The school system has been such a great partner with us.
• So the school system is a critical partner.
• A legal means to seek compensation to those exact parents that SB 164 does, A legal means to seek compensation
• We have broken systems."
• Pregnancy is not a religious belief system.

Summary: The committee heard a lengthy presentation from Miami-Dade State Attorney Catherine Fernandez-Rundle on human trafficking, describing it as a major criminal enterprise in Florida driven by online recruitment, local victims, and organized traffickers. She outlined Miami-Dade’s task force, victim-centered prosecution practices, training efforts for schools, hotels, transit workers, and other partners, and community-supported services such as the Project Phoenix shelter and Thrive Clinic. She also urged better interstate communication about known traffickers and noted that prior legislative changes, including restrictions on tattooing minors, came from trafficking cases. Senators asked about school-based exploitation, technology and social media recruitment, and information-sharing with other states; Fernandez-Rundle said training and technology remain essential and offered to share materials and tour the facility. The committee then considered CS for SB 656, which Senator Bradley said would codify FDLE’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force funding program and rename/expand the online sting operations grant program to better support investigations, training, technology, and personnel. The bill was supported as a needed response to online child exploitation and was reported favorably by unanimous roll call. The committee also passed SB 892 by Senator Martin, which streamlines sentencing procedures for habitual felony offenders and related designations by reducing paperwork delays tied to clemency and requiring clearer notice before pleas; it too was reported favorably unanimously. The most extensive debate centered on SB 164, which would expand Florida’s Wrongful Death Act to allow civil damages for the death of an unborn child. Senator Graal said the bill uses existing statutory language defining an unborn child and is intended to let parents recover damages when negligence causes a pregnancy loss. Supporters argued it recognizes unborn life and should be strengthened; opponents warned it would function as a personhood measure, create liability risks for doctors, businesses, friends, and family members, chill miscarriage and abortion-related care, and worsen Florida’s OB-GYN shortage. Several speakers raised concerns about abuse by rapists or abusive partners and about impacts on IVF and emergency care. The committee heard extensive questioning about the bill’s scope and its relationship to existing criminal statutes, but no vote on SB 164 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also redefines earnable compensation so that it includes payout compensation for sick and vacation
• <00:25:57.760> and<00:25:57.960> also compensation and also compensation and also I<00:
• One definition ends, um, for earnable compensation. So it would be compensation.
• Just sort of by way of mechanism in the workers' compensation system itself, this is an additional benefit
• mechanism in the workers compensation mechanism in the workers compensation system<04:33:19.000>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 2 provisions affecting the New Hampshire Retirement System, focusing on Group 2/Tier B retirement changes in pages 25 through 39 of the bill. NHRS Executive Director Jan Goodwin and deputy chief counsel Mark Kavanaugh explained that the 2025 bill is largely similar to prior versions and to HB 727, with the main difference being that the 2025 version does not include the earlier increase in the maximum benefit. They also said the fiscal note for HB 2 is based on earlier actuarial work and that an updated valuation was expected later in the week. A major topic was whether the bill accidentally removed an anti-spiking or special-duty compensation limit. NHRS said the omission appears to be a scrivener’s error caused by moving language between Group 1 and Group 2 definitions, and they planned to flag it in the fiscal note. Members also reviewed the bill’s intent to restore Tier B members to pre-2011 benefit rules, including changes to earnable compensation, average final compensation, and the comp-over-base rule. Some members questioned whether restoring those older rules was appropriate, arguing the 2011 changes were meant to curb pension spiking and that undoing them could be problematic. The committee also discussed the bill’s cost and funding assumptions. NHRS said the 2025 bill would reduce unfunded actuarial liability by about $98.2 million and would have a more favorable effect than the 2023 version, while employer contribution impacts would remain relatively small. Members noted the bill assumes annual appropriations of $27.5 million for 10 years, but House Bill 1 currently provides only $5 million in the first year, and NHRS had not yet analyzed the effect of that shortfall. No votes were taken in the portion provided; the discussion was informational and focused on clarifying the bill’s language, intent, and fiscal impact.

Transcript Highlights:

• now, many of those rules, all being well-meaning, have slowed down the progress in our education system
• Members, the federal tax law allows deferred compensation plans to offer both pre-tax contributions and
• Current state law limits the state and local administrative deferred compensation plans to only offer
• Current state law limits the state and local administrative deferred compensation plans to only offer
• By Senator Collaudiud, Senate Bill 1720, Public School Personnel Compensation.

Summary: The Senate convened with an opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognitions for the Doctor of the Day, Dr. Thomas Clem of Lakeland, and a large YMCA delegation visiting for the organization’s 175th anniversary. Senators highlighted the YMCA’s youth leadership programs and community service, and the chamber entered a proclamation recognizing the YMCA’s long service and its work in community support, youth development, and public health efforts. The chamber then took up several bills on the special order calendar. Senate Bill 100 adopted the 2026 Florida Statutes and the 2025 regular session’s statute materials; Senate Bill 102 removed repealed provisions from the statutes; and Senate Bill 104, the general reviser’s bill, deleted obsolete language, updated cross-references, and corrected drafting errors. Each of those bills was advanced to third reading and passed unanimously, 36-0. Senators also passed Senate Bill 7010, which authorizes Roth post-tax contributions in state and local deferred compensation plans, also by a 36-0 vote. Senate Bill 320, relating to administrative efficiency in public schools, drew the most substantive policy discussion. Its sponsor said the bill would reduce district-level mandates, expand teacher apprenticeship pathways, create longer-term teacher contracts and certificates, streamline salary supplements and assessments, increase flexibility in district finances and Title I use, adjust facility planning requirements, and shift oversight of district-run VPK programs. The sponsor emphasized reducing bureaucracy while preserving accountability and focusing resources on students; the bill passed 36-0. The Senate also withdrew Senate Bill 1720 from further consideration, waived rules to immediately certify all bills passed that day to the House, and adjourned until the next scheduled meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• claims ...of law judges that does not mirror the procedures for the judges of compensation claims.
• The judges of compensation claims are classified as senior management.
• The Office of Judges of Compensation Claims is headed by the Deputy Chief Judge of Compensation Claims
• The proposed amendment effectively makes the two appointment systems the same. Thank you, Ken.
• We do have a proofing system where we have a proofing person and then we have a managing ALJ review the

Summary: The Joint Administrative Procedures Committee heard a presentation from Representative Esposito on a proposal to strengthen oversight of agency rulemaking under Chapter 120. The bill would require cost-benefit analysis at the front end and after implementation, create an eight-year sunset and review process for rules, and require express legislative authority for agency rulemaking. Members questioned the lack of concrete examples of burdensome rules, the effect on already slow rulemaking, the choice of an eight-year sunset, and the bill’s origin; Esposito said she was working with stakeholders and cited her chamber-of-commerce background and research with the Cicero Institute. No vote was taken on the bill itself. Staff then reported on legislatively mandated rulemaking from 2023 and 2024, noting that most required rules had been adopted, proposed, noticed, or scheduled, with a few agencies still outstanding. The Department of Financial Services explained a delayed notice of rule development for the MySafe Florida Home condominium pilot program as an oversight that has since been corrected, and the Department of Education said it did not proceed with rulemaking for the Fostering Prosperity grants because the program received no funding in the 2025 budget. The Department of Health described delayed rulemaking for the sickle cell disease and trait registry, saying the registry and opt-out forms were being implemented and that notices of rule development had now been filed. Members pressed the department on why rules took so long and discussed the need for statutory deadlines. The Department of Children and Families reported on two 2023 human-trafficking-related rules: signage requirements for residential treatment facilities and children’s safe homes, and a new certification process for adult safe homes. DCF said the signage rule is now moving forward and the adult safe home certification rule has been submitted for final review after workshops and stakeholder feedback. Senators questioned the lengthy timeline and the lack of oversight during the interim, while the chair emphasized the need for time-certain deadlines in legislation and for JAPAC oversight hearings. The committee also considered staff-proposed amendments to Chapter 120 addressing emergency rules pending legislative ratification and the process for initiating ratification, including a one-year limit and notice to JAPAC. After discussion, the committee voted to forward the proposed amendments to the Senate President and House Speaker. Finally, members discussed a proposed amendment to the administrative law judge appointment and retention process under Section 120.65. DOAH’s interim director opposed the change, saying ALJs and workers’ compensation judges have different functions and warning against shifting appointment power to cabinet officers whose agencies appear before DOAH. Members raised concerns about timeliness, consistency, and accountability in DOAH decisions. The committee voted to forward this proposal as well, with Senator Smith voting no on that motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just sometimes so that the system can capture. Thank you. Thank you.
• Just sometimes so that the system can capture. Thank you.
• At that time, it was to take care of workers' compensation.
• We do think that when there are wrongs done to people, there should be compensation.
• Gordon, the compensation that accrues to the management of the... Thank you.

Bills: SB246, SB146, SB300, SB301, SB309, SM17

Keywords: massage therapy, licensure, health and safety standards, continuing education, establishment licensing, civil rights, sovereign immunity, damages, public body, lawsuit limitations, legal notice, child welfare, computing infrastructure, data management, Department of Health, appropriation, foster care, Indian children, cultural competency, training services

Transcript Highlights:

• There are systems There are systems that have been demonstrated in other jurisdictions that eliminate
• <04:34:42.719> that state approved nine system that state approved nine system that increases
• , augmented school system.
• Utilities will have to administer new income verification systems, application systems, annual reporting
• Under the current system, Under the current system, these firefighters are asked to prove with precision

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Witnesses, please be sure to register using electronic witness registration system accessible on the
• As you may recall, the landowners compensation program, uh, was established by Senate Bill 1133 last
• One of the reasons that we added the language to Uh, compensate landowners for debris and some of the
• Instead, a lessee can file the claim, but compensation goes to the landowner who could live hundreds
• The lessee may never receive the compensation necessary to fix the damage.