Transcript Highlights:

• Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Court of Appeals in D.C. and Justice Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court, two of our greatest jurists
• For the last year and a half of the administration, I performed the duties of Deputy Secretary, among
• the way they need to perform.
• It's not because they are the most expendable or the worst performers.

Committee: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

Keywords: transportation, air traffic control, safety regulations, Boeing 737 MAX, Department of Transportation, infrastructure funding, public safety, legislative oversight

Summary: The committee meeting addressed several pressing issues concerning transportation, particularly focusing on the need for improved safety standards and efficient management at the Department of Transportation. Specific discussions revolved around air traffic control, with members highlighting the urgency for a significant upgrade in systems and personnel. Notably, concerns were raised regarding past practices, especially the handling of safety regulations during the Boeing 737 MAX incidents. The committee expressed a clear intent to ensure rigorous safety oversight moving forward, emphasizing that the health and safety of the public must remain the top priority in all legislative and funding decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• prohibits monies from being distributed to hospitals or abortion clinics or any organization that performs
• prohibits monies from being distributed to hospitals or abortion clinics or any organization that performs
• program and fund to help municipalities and counties create veterans courts for the purpose of supporting
• Madam Witt, members, as amended by the Government Committee, House Bill 2968 prohibits the court from
• Madam Witt, members, Senate Bill 1242 allows the court, on its own motion or by request of a party, to

Summary: The meeting reviewed two caucus packets covering a wide range of bills, with most items described by staff and then passed over without questions. Topics included appropriations for pregnancy resource centers, home- and community-based services for seniors and people with disabilities, veteran specialty courts, child care grants and infrastructure, emergency shelter grants, language acquisition services for deaf or hard-of-hearing infants and toddlers, and uranium contamination monitoring. Other measures addressed utility plant replacement, local government investment pools, task-order contract posting, ambulance reporting and certificate-of-necessity changes, short-term rental regulation, tuition waivers for dependents of disabled veterans, memorial authorization, manufactured home installer licensing, CPR/AED training in schools, national park fee exemptions for military members and veterans, and a tourism improvement area funded by lodging businesses. Several bills focused on child welfare and family law, including expanded kinship placement notification, a neglect definition change tied to poverty, evidence rules in custody and dependency matters, DCS investigations when a protective parent is involved, and parenting-time supervision requirements. Health-related bills included midwife practice changes, controlled substance monitoring program updates, interstate EMS licensure, prostate cancer screening coverage, sleep apnea coverage, and resident electronic monitoring in care facilities. Judiciary and property-related bills included enhanced trespass penalties, post-nuptial agreement rules, tax lien excess proceeds procedures, and unlawful entry into residences occupied by vulnerable adults. A few members briefly explained or defended selected bills, including the child protection measures, the CPR training requirement, the ambulance reporting bill, the tourism improvement area bill, and the bill moving inter-facility transports away from police. The sponsor of HB 2950 emphasized it was a voluntary, opt-in lodging assessment with local approval and statutory guardrails. No roll-call votes were described in the transcript, and most bills were noted as being on consent or third-read consent calendars, with several removed from consent or not yet on a calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representatives Holly, Scott, and Gregory to come to the front of the House chamber, where Florida Supreme Court
• to hold office under the Constitution of the State of Florida; and that I will well and faithfully perform
• hold office under the Constitution of the state of the state and that I will well and faithfully perform
• and that I will well and faithfully perform the duties of member of the House of Representatives on
• midterm redistricting toward the end of last year, in response to a decision by our state Supreme Court

Summary: The House convened in special session with prayer, a moment of silence for former Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Mettier Bowen, the Pledge of Allegiance, and confirmation of a quorum. The clerk read the Governor’s amended special session proclamation, which added two subjects to the call: legislation protecting Floridians from artificial intelligence harms, including an AI Bill of Rights and possible public-records exemptions during early investigations, and legislation on medical freedoms similar to Senate Bill 1756. The special session was set to run from April 28 to May 1, 2026. The chamber then seated and swore in three new members: Representatives Hillary Holley, Samantha Scott, and Emily Gregory. The House adopted motions accepting their certifications as prima facie evidence of election and declaring them duly elected and qualified members. Guests of the new members were recognized in the chamber. Speaker Pro Tem Duggan outlined the House’s approach to the special session, saying the House had received the Governor’s proposed redistricting maps and intended to bring them to the floor for consideration the next day. He also said that, because no bills had been filed on the other topics in the call before the special session began, those issues would not be taken up. The House then adopted a motion to adjourn and reconvene on April 29, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. or upon call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, after three days, doctors informed us they would be performing surgery.
• and access to court.
• Senate Bill 538 is the state courts legislative package.
• reflect the modern court system.
• reflect the modern court system.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee heard three bills. SB 514, by Senator Harrell, clarified that medical quality review committees used by managing entities are treated like other medical review committees for purposes of civil liability and public records protections. The committee adopted a Harrell amendment removing the word “malpractice” from the title, heard support from the Florida Hospital Association, Florida Association of Managing Entities, and Florida Smart Justice Alliance, and then voted 11-0 to report the bill favorably. The committee then took up SB 734, by Senator Yarborough, which would repeal the current wrongful death exception that bars certain parents and adult children from recovering non-economic damages in medical negligence cases. The bill drew extensive testimony from families describing deaths they said were caused by medical negligence and from supporters including AARP and the Florida Justice Association, while opponents from the health care, insurance, and business sectors argued it would raise malpractice premiums, increase litigation, worsen physician shortages, and reduce access to care. After debate, the committee voted 9-2 to report the bill favorably. Finally, SB 538, by Senator Bradley, was presented as the state courts legislative package. It updates court operations by clarifying duty judge requirements, removing a location limit on duty hearings, repealing a cap on arbitrator compensation in court-ordered non-binding arbitration, and allowing alternative judicial authentication of oaths and acknowledgments when a court seal is unavailable. The bill received supportive waiver forms from the Florida Bar ADR section and several judges, and was reported favorably on an 11-0 vote. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• school district employee prohibited, 2389 replacement units compatibility, 2390 minors artistic performance
• , 2399 performance. 2389 replacement units compatibility, 2390 minors artistic performance, 2391 vloggers
• University of Arizona, 2591 apprenticeship registration, 2593 appropriation psychiatry access, 2594 family court
• enforcement military protection, 2601 environmental appropriation, 2602 DPS appropriation, 2604 civil court
• supremacy, 2606 home enforcement. 2602 appropriation DPS, 2604 civil court supremacy, 2606 homeowners

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the journal. Members then introduced the Doctor of the Day, Dr. John Lynch, and recognized several guest groups in the gallery, including Arizona electric co-op representatives, March of Dimes participants, CRNAs, AEA retirees, a University of Arizona legislative fellow, and ACLU visitors. Attendance was recorded at 58 present, one absent, and one excused. The chamber handled routine floor business, including temporary committee replacements, referral of HB 2677 from Judiciary to Public Safety and Law Enforcement, and the first reading and referral of a large number of House bills and one concurrent resolution. The bill list covered a wide range of topics, including education, appropriations, housing, taxes, health care, public safety, energy, water, labor, elections, and several measures related to abortion, firearms, and tribal affairs. Second reading of bills was also announced for another extensive set of measures. During announcements, members promoted a blood drive, a Veterans Caucus coffee-and-donuts event and lunch with a Department of Defense speaker, and several committee meetings or cancellations. No substantive debate or votes on legislation occurred beyond the procedural motions and the final motion to adjourn. The House adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 22, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• school district employee prohibited, 2389 replacement units compatibility, 2390 minors artistic performance
• , 2399 performance. 2389 replacement units compatibility, 2390 minors artistic performance, 2391 vloggers
• University of Arizona, 2591 apprenticeship registration, 2593 appropriation psychiatry access, 2594 family court
• enforcement military protect, 2601 in restate 11 environmental, 2602 appropriation DPS, 2604 civil court
• supremacy, 2606 home enforcement. 2602 appropriation DPS, 2604 civil court supremacy, 2606 homeowners

Transcript Highlights:

• The courts agreed.
• This is a bill that's been through court. The taxpayers sued and won in tax court.
• They won again in court of appeals.
• performance in view of a minor.
• Adult-oriented performance means an in-person show or performance that, A, taken as a whole, appeals

Transcript Highlights:

• A majority of Texas 3rd and 8th graders are not performing on grade level in reading and math across
• So if you have a family that's in a zip code of a low-performing school, are they treated the same as
• that a child in a low-performing school has a random shot at it.
• If there were parents of a child in a low-performing school Their chance of getting a voucher is the
• But a claimant can then still go to district court based on arbitrary and capricious.

Bills: SB2 , SJR36 , SB2 , SB2 , SR29 , SB2

Transcript Highlights:

• We must use objective criteria, such as education, training, work history, job performance, and performance
• Such as education, training, work history, job performance, and performance assessments to measure fitness
• So accountability for providers who perform these services is just one side of this.
• Other countries have the sense to recognize you're not going to perform surgeries on minors.
• Supreme Court. Thank you. This model eventually was struck down.

Committees: House Government , House House Government Committee of Reference

Transcript Highlights:

• Notification to parents on performance on dyslexia screening, $70,000 per year.
• Notification to parents on performance on dexlexia screening, $70,000 per year.
• By the time they reach high school, retained students are often performing lower than their peers.
• It often leads to negative social impacts and lower long-term performance.
• to have the court make a determination, ultimately retains the prosecutor's authority.

Bills: LB878 , LB958 , LB958A , LB762 , LB1187 , LB966 , LB929 , LB962 , LB1209 , LB937A , LB962A , LB1050 , LB1050A , LB965 , LB1022 , LB753 , LB788 , LB913 , LB1055 , LB1195 , LB429 , LB721 , LB722 , LB727 , LB745 , LB749 , LB778 , LR293 , LR296 , LR422 , LR495 , LR496 , LR497 , LR498 , LR499 , LR500 , LR501 , LR502 , LR503 , LR504

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1213, probation immigration enforcement courts notification.
• SB 1244, court-ordered treatment continuation; Judiciary and Elections.
• SB 1264, ESA program performance review determination.
• SB 1264 ESA program performance review determination. Education.
• SP 1283, appeals court division to elimination. Judiciary and Elections.

Transcript Highlights:

• that named him to the 2012 performance that named him to the 2012 performance that named him to the
• But the way to a court to do it. But the way to a court to do it.
• I think it to go to the court system? I think it to go to the court system?
• back to the court system. and take it back to the court system.
• I've seen didn't perform sexual acts. I've seen didn't perform sexual acts.

Bills: SB 1 , HB 500 , SB 1 , HB 1400 , HB 1094 , HB 365 , HB 1109 , HB 647 , HB 500

Transcript Highlights:

• Today we are at the 15th hearing of the Joint Committee on Public Service and the 194th General Court
• Unfortunately, based on a court case in 2021, PARAC notified us that we needed to review this determination
• We perform hazardous duties of the mind, maybe not of the body, but of the mind.
• We perform technical and managerial duties, including overseeing, inspecting, and directing construction
• We thank the I-LIS team and thank our court officer. With that, I make a motion to adjourn. Second.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Service

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service held its 15th hearing of the 194th General Court, focused on retirement group classifications for a range of public safety and related employees. Much of the testimony centered on bills affecting Barnstable County dispatchers and 911 telecommunicators, who argued they should remain in or be moved to Group 2 because their work is highly stressful, life-or-death in nature, and historically had been treated that way. Speakers said the proposed changes would largely grandfather in current employees, would not add costs in some cases, and were needed to correct outdated statutory language and PERAC rulings that had created uncertainty for workers nearing retirement or already retired. Similar support was offered for bills to reclassify 911 dispatchers statewide from Group 1 to Group 2, with testimony from dispatch supervisors, sheriffs, and police associations describing chronic stress, PTSD, staffing shortages, and retention problems. The committee also heard testimony on several other retirement-related bills. Representatives of Massport and campus police supported measures to align retirement benefits for Massport police and public higher education police with other law enforcement groups, arguing they perform comparable duties and face similar risks. The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association also backed a bill to ease post-retirement earning restrictions for retired police and firefighters so they can continue consulting, training, or advising without penalty. MOSES testified in favor of bills moving certain state employees into Group 2, including forensic scientists at the State Police Crime Lab, DCR aerial foresters, and Department of Correction construction coordinators, citing hazardous work environments and physical danger. Department of Fire Services compliance officers likewise sought Group 4 classification, describing exposure to toxins, fatal fire scenes, and cancer risks. No votes were taken during the hearing. The committee heard extensive testimony from affected employees, union and association representatives, and public safety officials, all urging favorable reports on the bills. At the end of the hearing, the chairs thanked witnesses and staff, and the committee adjourned after a motion and second.

Transcript Highlights:

• The really important oversight function that we are supposed to be performing that we truly can't do
• There was a 2017 Supreme Court case that dealt exactly with that issue.
• Oh, I'm not aware of that specific Supreme Court case, but I am aware of many of the people's comments
• We haven't really performed very well. Is it because we're not a professional legislature?
• You wonder, performance-based, merit-based, should we really be paid?

Committee: Senate Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill requires that when courts are involved in litigation concerning public record law, they use
• De novo review means that the court examines the issue independently and does not give deference to the
• It's important to have de novo review because it ensures that it is an independent court decision, not
• And de novo review doesn't increase the time, court time, because courts are reviewing these lawsuits
• well and the other half performing exceptionally badly.

Committee: House House Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard SB 1078, which would require courts reviewing public-records disputes to apply de novo review rather than deferring to an agency’s decision to withhold records. Senator Kavanaugh and a Goldwater Institute witness argued the bill would restore transparency and independent judicial review. The committee recommended the bill do pass on a 4-3 vote. The committee then considered SB 1184, which would add military division flags approved by the Department of Defense to the list of flags that HOAs and planned communities may not prohibit. Kavanaugh said the bill responds to HOA restrictions on veterans displaying unit flags. Members discussed whether the bill should also cover other flags, including LGBTQ flags, but no amendment was adopted. The bill passed 7-0. SB 1586 followed, requiring Arizona agencies to post federal guidance they create, adopt, or receive. Supporters said it would improve transparency; an opposing member said agencies already post such material and the bill was unnecessary. It passed 4-3. SB 1665, a state agency hiring reform bill, would require standardized hiring scores, interview panel grades, overall grades, and an appeal process for unsuccessful applicants. The State Personnel Board supported it as a merit-based reform, while ADOA opposed it as costly and burdensome, estimating more than $3 million in compliance costs and warning it could slow hiring. After extended testimony, the committee recommended it do pass 4-3. The committee also approved SCR 1024, which would require legislative candidates to reside in their district for one year and, if affiliated, be members of their party for one year before the election; it passed 6-1 after discussion about residency rules and ballot-measure concerns. Later, the committee heard SB 1135, which increases workers’ compensation burial expenses for fallen first responders from $5,000 to $10,000. Family members and first responders testified in support, describing the financial strain after line-of-duty deaths. The bill passed 6-1 with one member present. SB 1136, which allows surviving spouses of first responders to keep death benefits even if they remarry, also drew emotional testimony from widows and supporters and passed 5-2. The committee then took up SB 1435, expanding the existing prohibition on exposing minors to sexually explicit material to public libraries and making violations a class 6 felony; supporters framed it as child protection, while opponents warned it could chill library access and criminalize librarians. The bill passed 4-3. Finally, SB 1567 was introduced as another expansion of the same underlying law, prohibiting government entities and contractors from exposing minors to sexually explicit materials and from using public facilities for filming or facilitating sexually explicit acts; the sponsor described it as part of a broader effort to protect children, and the committee began discussion of the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• FRT actually chills expression, as courts determined in Patel v.
• Instead of persistent tracking, a warrant or court order can be issued, especially within the realm of
• United States of 2018, the Supreme Court held that warrantless access to prolonged 2018, the Supreme
• FRT actually chills expression as courts determined in Patel v.
• Instead of persistent tracking, a warrant or court order can be issued, especially within the realm of

Summary: The House Education Committee heard several bills related to special education records, artificial intelligence in schools, financial aid access, educator preparation, school health, and student mobile device use. Substitute Senate Bill 6268 would require OSPI to keep an online public record of final special education community complaint decisions for 20 years; the sponsor and several parents, attorneys, and open-government advocates said the records help families, schools, and researchers understand past decisions and remedies, while no one testified in opposition. Substitute Senate Bill 5956 would limit school use of automated decision systems, school surveillance technology, biometric data, and facial recognition in student discipline and safety contexts; the sponsor and supporters said it would prevent harmful false positives and discriminatory impacts, while an industry witness warned the bill could unintentionally reduce school safety by limiting emergency facial-recognition uses. Committee discussion focused on the bill’s scope, especially whether it affects classroom grading or only discipline-related decisions, and staff noted the bill does not require teacher training. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5841, which would add financial-aid application data to the High School and Beyond Plan platform and require students to receive information about the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program. The sponsor said the bill would make aid status more transparent and easier to track, especially for families facing language or access barriers, and a student advocate testified in support; a committee member raised concerns about privacy for immigrant and DACA students, and the sponsor said the portal would be opt-in and guided by privacy protections. Senate Bill 6278 would codify and update Professional Educator Standards Board review of teacher and principal preparation programs, including program standards, educator role standards, evidence, and input from P-12 partners, while allowing field placement plans to be submitted on a less frequent schedule; PESB staff said the bill largely reflects current practice and adds flexibility. Substitute Senate Bill 5240 would expand who may administer epinephrine in schools and allow use of any available epinephrine when a student with a prescription on file has anaphylaxis; school nurses supported broader access to stock epinephrine but warned against using one student’s medication for another and raised legal and ethical concerns, while the sponsor emphasized faster response in emergencies. Finally, Substitute Senate Bill 5346 would direct OSPI to study and report on school mobile-device restrictions and update digital citizenship resources to include research and best practices on student phone use. Staff said OSPI already has some guidance, but the bill would create formal legislative reports and expand the state’s digital citizenship materials. The committee began taking testimony on that bill as the hearing time ran short, and the chair noted there were ten people signed in to testify.

Transcript Highlights:

• Information comes from the courts and then you disseminate that information out.
• We actually don't, the courts are not our only.
• That's done outside of the court information system.
• It's not just getting the data from courts and then regurgitating it out.
• So, the court reports that come to you, are those electronically also?

Bills: HF2432

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Liu mentioned in the court of Vyazi Martinez, it actually places that responsibility on the legislature
• same kind of performance—from those students.
• The bill uses the term “willful failure to perform duties”; however, it does not define what a willful
• So, reasonable grounds to believe a local school board member is willfully failing to perform a duty
• To a further right to appeal, a final secretary decision to district court pursuant to Section 39-3-11

Bills: SB23 , SB73 , SB210 , SB234 , SB243 , SB244 , SM16

Committee: House House Education

Keywords: student use, wireless devices, public schools, policy implementation, education technology funding, driver education, driver's ed, driving school, motorcycle safety, traffic safety, vulnerable road users, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, cyclist, bike lane, micromobility, scooter, moped, motorcycle training, DWI prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• It's really designed to incentivize performance achievements at the local level.
• You know, we do regular monthly meetings with the CBCs on their performance and different performance
• There's one to reduce good performance, and there's one to make sure you don't produce bad performance
• Within the funding formula, it is just on the positive side from a performance standpoint.
• So we take that very seriously from a poor performance standpoint to hold them accountable.

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee met with a quorum present and took up a presentation from the Department of Children and Families on HB 7089, which revises how Florida’s community-based care (CBC) lead agencies for child welfare are funded. Representative McFarland described the bill’s background, arguing that the prior formula relied too heavily on outdated, static factors and produced inequities among CBCs. She emphasized that the new approach is intended to provide a more stable, transparent, and statute-based funding method that better supports prevention, case management, and family services while reducing year-to-year political uncertainty. DCF Chief of Staff Casey Penn explained that HB 7089 required an actuarially sound, reimbursement-based formula developed with CBC and provider input. The new model uses a cost-based structure with three tiers: Tier 1 for operational and administrative costs, Tier 2 for per-child/per-month service costs, and a possible Tier 3 incentive component for performance measures if the Legislature chooses to fund it. The model includes regional growth factors, inflation adjustments, a 2% risk corridor for Tier 2, a hold-harmless provision for agencies that would otherwise receive less than prior funding, and the ability for CBCs to retain some state general revenue savings. DCF said the model produced a total budget need of about $1.392 billion, roughly $28.6 million above the prior year after offsets, and that the department is also updating its child welfare case management system to improve data quality and future modeling. Members asked about whether prevention spending is captured, how Tier 3 incentives would work and how much they might cost, how the formula accounts for insurance, hurricanes, child acuity, and staffing costs, and whether CBC executives’ compensation is capped. DCF said prevention is included in the model but is not yet separately broken out due to data limitations, Tier 3 is optional and not yet costed, and the formula can incorporate additional growth factors if needed. On executive pay, DCF explained that compensation is limited by statute for CBC contracts, but multiple contracts and non-state funding sources can affect total compensation; staff later clarified that CBC CEOs with multiple contracts had been reviewed for compliance. The meeting ended after questions, and Representative Miller moved to adjourn; the subcommittee adjourned without any vote on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• STAFF RESPONDED IN A WAY THAT SATISFIED AND FRANKLY PROVIDED A BETTER PRODUCT OF WHAT THE SUPREME COURT
• IS AN ALARMING STATEMENT FOR ME AS A LEGISLATURE TO HEAR THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF OUR FLORIDA SUPREME COURT
• SUPPORTED, THAT'S NOT ONLY WHAT I WANT TO SEE, THAT IS WHAT SHOULD BE SEEING AND THAT IS WHAT THE COURT
• , THERE IS AN ORDER BEING CONTESTED TO THE SUPREME COURT SO THAT EVIDENCE WILL BE SEEN AS IN REAL TIME
• IT IS THE WAY ORDERS WERE WRITTEN COMING OUT OF THE SUPREME COURT FOR MANY YEARS.