Transcript Highlights:

• So first to submit a speaker form is Mr. Allen Abramowitz, representing the Arc of Florida. And Mr.
• In our second submitted speaker form was Ms. Melissa Mazeda. Thank you for your time.
• And on the forms, my son could not fill out any forms. And I'm lucky that I'm still here.
• I'm not sure if his support coordinator receives forms for him or not.
• So, I mean, for him to fill out a form personally is not going to happen without assistance.

Summary: The Health Care Budget Subcommittee met to organize the new term, take roll, and hear introductory presentations from the six agencies under its jurisdiction: the Agency for Health Care Administration, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Children and Families, Department of Elder Affairs, Department of Health, and Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The chair outlined the committee process, including assigning members to review agencies and make budget recommendations. Each agency head gave a high-level overview of their budget, staffing, major programs, and priorities, with recurring themes including Medicaid, long-term care, disability services, child welfare, mental health, aging services, public health, and veterans’ health care. Several agency leaders highlighted recent initiatives and funding priorities. AHCA emphasized Medicaid managed care, provider regulation, Hope Florida, hospital-at-home, and cancer-related efforts; APD discussed iBudget services, Hope Florida, a managed-care pilot, online applications, and forensic care costs; DCF focused on child protection, foster care, adult protective services, food/cash/medical assistance, mental health, and opioid treatment; Elder Affairs highlighted Alzheimer’s services, community-based senior care, guardianship, ombudsman services, and disaster outreach; DOH covered cancer innovation, maternal telehealth, cybersecurity, HIV/hepatitis/syphilis screening, and school nursing; and Veterans Affairs described benefits and health care access for veterans, long-term care, and federal reimbursement. Several speakers also raised concerns about rising costs, provider rates, disaster response, and access to services. The committee heard two public comments from disability advocates about Medicaid redeterminations affecting iBudget waiver recipients and provider payment delays. In response, AHCA and APD said they were coordinating on data sharing, early outreach, escalation processes, and efforts to reduce disenrollments and make recertification smoother. Members then asked questions about provider rates, opioid settlement spending, managed care quality measures, pediatric rare disease grants, group home transparency, senior outreach, ABA services moving into managed care, annual Medicaid recertification, veterans’ service utilization, waiting lists for elder services, and prevention spending. No formal votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• tyranny in all unequivocal rejection of tyranny in all of<00:31:37.760> its<00:31:38.000> forms
• To my friends from of its forms.
• Salvador was able to form a bond with anyone, whether it be over stories from military service or their
• Salvador was able to form a bond with anyone, whether it be over stories from military service or their
• The Department of Homeland Security formed out of September 11th.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• During the passage of police reform, the council worked directly with the newly formed Massachusetts
• agency faces, and I think a big part of that is because we don't have the right to even attempt to form
• protections as employees that we would be able to try to bargain for if we even have the right to form
• asking for is for you to report this bill out favorably and give us the opportunity to even try to form
• on this issue since we don't have an employer listed in the legislation we don't have the right to form

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service heard testimony on a wide range of retirement, municipal workforce, and public employee labor bills. Early testimony focused on H. 2749, a Plymouth home rule petition to classify Plymouth harbormaster employees as Group 4 for retirement purposes. Supporters, including local officials and retirement board representatives, argued the employees perform law-enforcement and rescue duties comparable to police and fire personnel, that the change would be fair, and that it would have little or no fiscal impact on the town. A separate harbormaster-related bill, H. 2743, was also introduced later in the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on provisions of the Municipal Empowerment Act (H. 56), including a temporary critical-shortage exemption allowing retired state or municipal employees to return to work in hard-to-fill positions, and a renewed OPEB commission to study retiree health care costs. Administration and municipal officials said the measures were needed to address staffing shortages and rising benefit liabilities, while emphasizing the shortage exemption would be time-limited and require proof of recruitment efforts. Related retirement bills drew support and caution: advocates for higher COLA bases and enhanced COLA benefits urged relief for retirees, but some asked the committee to wait for recommendations from the special COLA commission before acting. A major portion of the hearing concerned labor rights at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Union representatives and employees backed bills to extend just-cause protections, promotional rights, and collective bargaining rights to MWRA and CPCS workers, arguing they currently lack protections available to most other public employees. Testimony described unfair discipline, delayed promotions, and high turnover, and committee members indicated prior favorable action on similar MWRA bills and expressed support for addressing CPCS labor rights. The committee also heard from representatives of the Massachusetts Municipal Association and public higher education employees in support of H. 2820, which would require timely funding of ratified state employee contracts, with witnesses describing long delays in receiving negotiated raises and back pay. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair repeatedly invited written testimony and closed each panel after questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• >> Well, a lot of these churches use a different form of method.
• <00:26:00.080> Not<00:26:00.400> all<00:26:00.480> of different form of method
• Not all of different form of method.
• c> >> so I would have to fill out additional >> so I would have to fill out additional forms
• and I'm a taxpaying citizen much forms and I'm a taxpaying citizen much like<00:29:10.880> our

Bills: HB585

Keywords: Washington County, circuit clerk, compensation, county government, local legislation, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• shows that in Hennepin and Ramsey counties, roughly three-quarters of felony offenders receive some form
• 15.360> some 3/4ers of felony offenders receive some 3/4ers of felony offenders receive some form
• > of<00:01:16.000> downward<00:01:16.479> departure<00:01:16.880> from form
• of downward departure from form of downward departure from recommended<00:01:17.759> sentences.
• of downward departure from form of downward departure from recommended<00:09:06.399> sentences.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 3380, a bill by Representative Hudson aimed at repeat violent felony offenders who use firearms. Hudson said the bill would require aggravated sentencing, up to the statutory maximum, for people convicted of three or more violent felonies involving firearms, with no probation, parole, early release, or work release. He argued the measure was needed because repeat offenders cycle through the system and because downward departures are too common, especially in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Dave Zimmer, a former law enforcement officer and public safety policy fellow, testified in support, saying the bill would tighten loopholes, restore consequences for repeat violent offenders, and help victims of violent crime. Representative Pinto questioned the bill’s need and structure, asking for specific examples of the problem and raising concerns about separation of powers, the breadth of the lookback into prior convictions, and whether the bill actually required a full maximum sentence or could be satisfied by only a small upward departure. He also noted that sentencing departures are public and can be challenged. Representative Mohler similarly pressed for clarification on the statistics Hudson cited, referenced sentencing guidelines data showing different departure rates across counties, and said departures can sometimes reflect victim preferences or evidentiary difficulties. Hudson responded that the bill was simple, that any ambiguity about firearm involvement would likely not count, and that the point was to ensure sentences could not go down for repeat armed violent offenders. After discussion, the chair announced that an amendment, DE2, was out of order. The committee then laid House File 3380 over, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• LECs can take several forms. In some, the cooperative owns the land, building, and the units.
• Up-front investment, whether in the form of subsidies, financial tools, or social... ...are clear.
• We want more and more Washington to continue to be able to build equity and have some form of ownership
• A form of ownership that works with a multifamily product is going to be an important part of unlocking
• This was kind of the most plausibly deniable form of housing.

Summary: The committee met for work sessions on land banking/shared homeownership and on maximizing existing housing stock. Members first heard an overview from Commerce on alternative homeownership models, including community land trusts, limited equity cooperatives, condominiums, accessory dwelling units, middle housing, church land for housing, and public land transfers. The discussion focused on how these models can help households build equity while keeping housing permanently affordable. Committee members asked about statewide counts of co-ops and land trusts, and Commerce said it does not track all of those entities directly. Pierce County staff then described the Pierce County Community Development Corporation’s rapid acquisition fund and its role in acquiring, holding, and transferring public land for affordable housing. They said the county used general fund and affordable housing sales tax dollars to buy properties, preserve a manufactured home park through resident ownership, and create a pipeline of sites for future development. Members asked about the advantages of a public development authority, funding sources, the use of surplus and underutilized public property, and how the model works with housing authorities. Spokane land bank staff followed with testimony that land banks can reduce blight, preserve affordability, and help nonprofits acquire land quickly, but that holding costs and taxes can make the work harder without state support. They also described brownfield assessments, donated properties, and work on Black homeownership and public surplus properties. The committee then heard from the Northwest Cooperative Development Center on limited equity cooperatives, especially in manufactured housing communities. The witness said Washington now has about 43 limited equity co-ops and that recent subsidy funding and legislation have accelerated resident purchases of manufactured home communities. Members asked how residents benefit from capped equity, how values are affected, and whether the model improves access to lending; the witness said the model stabilizes costs, allows modest equity gains, and that a recent law allowing manufactured homes in co-ops to be titled as real property should improve access to traditional financing. The committee also discussed House Bill 1974 from the prior session and possible updates to land banking legislation. In the second work session on maximizing existing housing stock, Commerce reviewed recent housing laws and implementation timelines, including ADUs, middle housing, condo liability reform, SEPA changes, tiny homes, and co-living. Members raised concerns about the long implementation horizon, vacancy data, corporate ownership of homes, and the need for better support for small landlords and first-time ADU owners. Sightline then testified on mobile dwelling units, arguing that RVs, tiny houses on wheels, and similar units are a low-cost, quick-to-install housing option that is often blocked by zoning; the witness said many Washington residents already live in these units, often informally. Finally, AARP discussed housing options for older adults, including ADUs, missing middle, manufactured home communities, co-living, universal design, and village-style support models, emphasizing aging in place and the need for more accessible, affordable housing choices.

Transcript Highlights:

• The A25 amendment, again as Senator Clark said, puts the bill into the form with the recommendations
• the<00:01:30.000> bill<00:01:30.240> into<00:01:30.560> the<00:01:30.720> form
• <00:01:31.439> um<00:01:31.600> with<00:01:31.840> the the bill into the form
• um with the the bill into the form um with the recommendations<00:01:32.640> of<00:01:32.960>
• so we can route them to specific form so we can route them to council<00:08:08.800> without<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1814 seeks to streamline marriage application forms to make them standard for all applicants
• This bill amends the language on these forms to add clarity and make these forms more applicable to all
• I know that you have one, the first one, forming an attorney-client relationship with the attorney, and
• If you have a child who can form that relationship, but is objectively unreasonable, well, I still think
• And we can change your witness affirmation form to that. Yes, sir. OK. All right. Thank you.

Bills: HCR 10

Keywords: balanced budget amendment, federal budget, deficit reduction, deficit spending, fiscal restraint, constitutional amendment, U.S. Constitution, Congress, PAYGO, Gramm-Rudman-Hollings, national debt, budget deficit, taxpayer dollars, balanced budget resolution, memorial resolution, Texas Legislature, federal spending, budget reform, fiscal conservatism

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, simple changes like moving the court information from. from the bottom of the form to the
• top of the form and putting consequences for missing a court date in bold font have shown significant
• The same research also shows that similar form improvements can increase understanding and therefore
• Well, it's more of a format but not a form, okay, so it wouldn't.
• I believe the bill allows for the current forms to be used up before they have to buy or replace them

Bills: HB1455, HB1777, HB2101, HB2136, HB2609, HB3142, HB3552, HB3846, HB4155, HB4514, HB4879, HB4995, HB5014, HB5139, HB5228, HB5436, HCR40

Keywords: mental health, jail diversion, law enforcement, reporting requirements, criminal justice, data collection, criminal justice reform, intellectual disability, mental illness, data reporting, public safety, reporting, substance abuse, sex offender, driver's license, identification, gunshot detection, unreported gunshots, municipal police, crime investigation

Transcript Highlights:

• We've only seen it, but this is the donor consent form.
• And in that donor consent form, and this is confirmed by CBS News, you can see. consent form.
• And in that donor consent form, and this is confirmed by CBS News, you can see that not all times, not
• They get a consent form.
• Within the prescribed form, we ask that it be a uniform addendum that everyone has to sign in addition

Bills: SB1406, SB1681, SB2480, SB2721

Keywords: body donation, medical science, forensic science, willed body program, informed consent, boarding home, boarding home facility, adult care home, group home, assisted living, county reporting, municipal reporting, annual report, reasonable accommodation, fair housing, disability accommodation, local ordinance, permit requirement, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, HHSC

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 2480, which would clarify that the Texas Medical Board may collect license renewal surcharge fees from all licensees to fund the Texas Physician Health Program and related administrative costs. The bill author explained the funding fix was needed after prior language was found to allow surcharges only for physicians and physician assistants. Witnesses from the Texas Physician Health Program supported the measure and described the program’s confidential monitoring and treatment services; members asked about the fee amount, which was described as capped at $15 per two-year registration cycle. The bill was left pending. The committee then took up Senate Bills 1406 and 2721, both authored by Senator Parker, addressing the handling of human remains by non-transplant anatomical donation organizations, willed body programs, and related facilities. Senator Parker and several witnesses described alleged abuses involving unclaimed bodies, consent problems, body leasing, hotel-based dissections, and mishandling of cremains, and argued for strict licensing, inspections, transparency, and criminal penalties. Supporters included families of deceased veterans and other relatives, a biomedical ethicist, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, and some public safety and hotel industry representatives who said legitimate training should continue but bad actors should be shut down. Opponents or cautious witnesses from accredited donation organizations and bioskills labs said they support stronger oversight but warned the bills could unintentionally disrupt legitimate medical education and urged clearer language and implementation of existing law. Both bills were left pending. Senate Bill 1681, by Senator Menendez, would require counties and municipalities that regulate boarding homes to report facility standards and related information to the Health and Human Services Commission. The author said the bill is intended to improve state oversight of boarding homes that serve elderly and disabled residents and to address abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The bill was left pending after brief discussion. After the testimony portion, the committee returned to voting on pending business and unanimously reported Senate Bills 527, 912, 1580, 1952, and 2032 to the Senate with recommendations that they do pass and be printed, and each was also recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 407 and reported the substitute favorably, with six ayes and three nays. The committee then moved on to Senate Bill 500 as pending business.

Transcript Highlights:

• There being six present, the quorum is formed.
• To form a national organization dedicated to supporting veterans and their families.
• It is important that people understand the distinctions, but both of these forms of care result in. and
• bringing this bill to have Texas join the many places around the world that recognize and celebrate this form

Bills: HCR75, HCR93, SB644, SCR2, SCR17, HB2703, HCR92, HCR7, HCR126, HB1615, HB1610, HB1620, HCR86, HCR7

Keywords: Hemphill, bass fishing, tourism, state recognition, conservation, recreational activities, Nacogdoches, Garden Capital, public gardens, sustainability, horticultural heritage, hospice, palliative care, awareness day, healthcare, patient care, state regulation, taxation, education, local authority

Transcript Highlights:

• It's proven to be a very complicated issue, and so we're forming this task force with a broad membership
• issue<00:03:10.879> and<00:03:11.120> so<00:03:11.280> we're<00:03:11.519> forming
• /c><00:03:12.080> t<00:03:12.319> this<00:03:12.640> task issue and so we're forming
• a t this task issue and so we're forming a t this task force<00:03:13.280> with<00:03:13.599>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Anybody wishing to speak before the committee, please make sure CSR and fill out an appearance form.
• We do not have any appearance forms on the amendment. Seeing no debate, you're recognized to close.
• Seeing none, we do have two appearance forms. We've got Karen Murillo with AARP. Great, thank you.
• That is all for appearance forms. We are in debate, members. Senator Hale, you're recognized.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services took up two bills. Senator Burgess presented SB 116, the Senate Veterans Package, which would reduce the number of Veterans Hall of Fame nominations, expand FDVA health survey and coordination efforts, add mental health training to the veterans suicide prevention pilot program, fix statutory references, improve coordination between Veterans Florida and FDVA, and require FDVA to develop a plan for adult day health care facilities for veterans and their families. An amendment was adopted to appropriate $300,000 for the suicide prevention training pilot and $50,000 for the health survey. The bill was supported in debate, especially for the adult day care provision, and CS/SB 116 was reported favorably by roll call vote. The committee then heard SB 294 by Senator Harrell, which would exclude specified cardiac conditions—such as heart failure, coronary heart disease, and cardiac arrhythmias—from the list of chronic health conditions that may be managed under collaborative pharmacy practice agreements. Senator Harrell argued that these complex conditions require direct physician involvement and that pharmacists should not be making medication changes for severe cardiac patients based on protocols alone. Senator Rouson asked why heart conditions had been included previously, and Vice Chair Davis asked about fiscal impact; Harrell said there would be no state cost, though patients might face additional out-of-pocket expenses, which she said could be offset by avoiding more serious complications. Public testimony on SB 294 was divided. The Florida Pharmacy Association opposed the bill, arguing that collaborative practice agreements are voluntary, physician-controlled, and already include safeguards, and that pharmacists are highly trained to help manage chronic conditions and improve access and outcomes. A cardiologist with the Florida Chapter of the American College of Cardiology supported the bill, warning that cardiac patients are complex and that pharmacists may make dangerous decisions without the full clinical picture. Senator Burton also supported the bill, saying the original collaborative practice framework was not intended to let pharmacists diagnose or treat serious cardiac disease. SB 294 was then reported favorably by roll call vote. At the end of the meeting, Senators Rodriguez and Garcia asked to be recorded in the affirmative on SB 116, and the committee adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Employee status allows workers to form a union, guarantees protections under wage and hour laws, and
• Misclassification as an independent contractor is just one form of misclassification.
• It melted down the tailgate, formed a puddle behind the vehicle.
• You get a longer form that you sign, that you scroll to the bottom of, push the I agree button.
• It's just a longer form. Maybe it has big, bold letters, maybe some of that are in all caps.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hybrid hearing on a large group of bills carried over from the previous session, with Chair Jake Oliveira and House Co-Chair Paul McMurtry outlining the process and limiting testimony to three minutes. The committee heard testimony on several labor and workplace proposals, including bills to harmonize employee definitions to address misclassification (SB 1338/HB 2141), expand bereavement leave (including H. 2189/S. 1354 and related bills), protect collective bargaining rights for certain administrative employees (HB 268/SB 1306), expand commuter transit benefits (HB 2153/SB 1345), regulate employer use of credit reports (S. 1286), and require apprenticeship participation or OSHA-related workplace safety measures on public projects. At the end of the hearing, the chairs read into the record additional bills that did not receive testimony that day. Supporters of the misclassification bill, including Greater Boston Legal Services and the AFL-CIO, said aligning the employee-status tests across wage, unemployment, and PFML laws would reduce confusion, improve enforcement, and help workers wrongly treated as independent contractors or managers recover benefits and bargaining rights. NAGE and its representative argued that public-sector employees have been improperly reclassified into management titles to weaken unions, and that the bill would force the Division of Labor Relations to review those titles. On bereavement leave, advocates including the Louis E. Brown Peace Institute, a state representative, the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, and individual survivors described the impact of sudden loss and homicide on families, saying guaranteed leave would help workers grieve, make arrangements, and avoid losing jobs or custody-related stability. The committee also heard support for commuter benefits as a low-cost way to reduce emissions and increase transit use, and for restricting employer credit checks because of inaccuracies and discriminatory effects. There was opposition to some construction-related bills. The Associated Builders and Contractors and the Building Trades Employers Association supported apprenticeship training in principle but said current apprentice-to-journeyworker ratios are outdated or misunderstood, and that the bills should be amended or clarified before advancing. The Massachusetts landscape and snow-removal industry strongly supported a snow-liability limitation bill, arguing that hold-harmless clauses and broad indemnification requirements force contractors to assume liability for conditions they cannot control, drive up insurance costs, and threaten business viability. The committee did not take any votes during the hearing, and the session ended with the chairs thanking members, staff, and the public before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we may find out from that, um, it may be the form, the shape, the design of the drug may be classic
• 16:14.079> seen<00:16:14.399> various<00:16:14.800> synthetic<00:16:15.360> forms
• uh we have seen various synthetic forms uh we have seen various synthetic forms of<00:16:16.079>
• /c><00:16:34.320> Wyoming<00:16:34.720> in<00:16:34.959> one<00:16:35.120> form
• <00:16:35.279> or in the state of Wyoming in one form or in the state of Wyoming in one form

Bills: SF0009

Keywords: fentanyl, controlled substances, minors, drug distribution, enhanced penalties, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• order, reading verbatim from the rules, no senator in debate shall directly or indirectly, by any form
• So, as I was saying, this bill is a form of intimidation because we know very well it's going to get
• Now, most of the time, admissions forms, when you go in for the examples that they've given, those are
• It turns hospital intake forms into immigration questionnaires and makes families afraid to seek care
• Immigration enforcement belongs with the federal government, not in a hospital intake form.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a roll call showing 27 present, and approval of the prior journal. Members then introduced guests, including representatives of the Arizona Fair Association, Mohave County Parks and Fair officials, a constituent guest, a candidate shadowing a senator, Father David Myers, and the Doctor of the Day. The chamber then moved into Committee of the Whole and considered three bills. SB 1268/HB 2792, a veterans property tax exemption cleanup measure, was explained as clarifying that the exemption applies to a primary residence and jointly owned property for spouses; it received a due pass recommendation and later passed 29-1 with an emergency clause. SB 1051, requiring hospitals to collect and report patient immigration-status information tied to public spending, drew extensive debate over privacy, public health, cost, and immigration enforcement; supporters framed it as accountability for taxpayer spending, while opponents called it discriminatory and harmful to care-seeking, and it passed 17-13. SB 1316, creating a process for Arizona rural health transformation funds and requiring public hearings and JLBC involvement, was defended as a transparency measure for a $167 million federal rural health award; opponents argued it added bureaucracy and could delay rural care, but it passed 17-13. After the Committee of the Whole report was adopted, the Senate took up third readings. HB 2792 passed 29-1 with an emergency clause, SB 1123 passed 29-1, SB 1125 passed 30-0, SB 1145 passed 29-1, SB 1316 passed 17-13, and SB 1051 passed 17-13. Several members explained votes, with repeated arguments over immigration, public health, transparency, and the role of JLBC. The Senate then announced committee meetings for the next day and adjourned until February 11, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• testifying today, and those wishing simply to go on the record, please complete the witness appearance form
• This form will be completed and signed and placed in the box on the witness stand prior to testimony
• If you submit a witness appearance form online, you do not need to complete a paper copy as well.
• And again, I ask that if you need to fill out a form, make sure you have a form.
• No, there's a new updated form.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As a reminder to our witnesses, please complete the witness affirmation forms at the register located
• you to fill it out, let us know, and submit it as part of your—I'm sure that there are many other forms
• We're here because we think we can form a partnership with the state of Texas and the federal government
• how it's going to work, here's who's going to do what, and here's the partnerships that have been formed
• And it would affect our ability to get the products to the businesses in the form of significant delays

Bills: HB341, HB791, HB1564, HB1695, HB1722, HB1729, HB1772, HB2003, HB2954, HB2989, HB3084, HB3134, HB3135, HB3309, HB3611, HB3679, HB3727, HB3832

Keywords: affordable housing, zoning, development, community support, local regulations, bicycle lanes, traffic collisions, Texas Department of Transportation, study, public safety, bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, road safety, transportation study, HB 791, Central Catholic High School, San Antonio, specialty license plate, specialty plates

Transcript Highlights:

• So the form that is currently filled out does ask for whether question 20 is, will the condominium contain
• since we have had recent legislation, and obviously we are trying to proactively capture it in the form
• One is that, so we did engage in rulemaking and the form as updated October 1st, 2024, does question
• So I would recommend that you improve the form and make sure that it's habitable, because here's what
• You take those things, you do your expense form, and you get reimbursed by the state.

Summary: The State Administration Budget Subcommittee met for budget day, heard agency follow-up questions, and then presented its recommended budget for fiscal year 2025-2026. Chair Lopez opened with remarks about reducing spending, emphasizing vacancy reductions and recurring savings across agencies. The recommendation eliminated 452.5 vacant positions and produced recurring savings of $57.2 million overall, while still funding selected priorities. Notable funded items included $500,000 for a new DBPR website for condominium complaints and document filing, $481.3 million for the MICEF Florida Home Program in DFS, funding for Florida PALM implementation, $330,000 for a Tampa office in the Office of Insurance Regulation, $835,000 for warehouse space for confiscated gambling machines, $821,000 for the Lottery gaming system contract, and major DMS capital and facilities funding. Lopez also criticized DMS leadership and said the secretary’s salary would be held in reserve pending answers on fleet management, remote workers, SUNCOM billing, and other issues. The committee then questioned DBPR Secretary Griffin about condominium records, structural integrity reserve studies, and milestone-inspection compliance. Members focused on how the division tracks condominiums, whether it can identify buildings with three habitable stories, and whether the current filing system can be improved to better capture building height and story count. Griffin said the division relies heavily on self-reporting and complaint-driven checks, but has updated forms to capture whether a condominium has buildings three stories or higher and has received additional submissions. Members also asked about staffing and the Miami-area office; Griffin said DBPR now has two Fort Lauderdale offices and a Doral office, with about 82% of new positions filled. Secretary Davis of the Florida Lottery also testified, defending travel to Paris and other conferences as part of industry engagement, technology research, and best-practice sharing. He said the travel was reimbursed through lottery-related organizations, described the Lottery as an enterprise fund that receives no general tax revenue, and said the agency has remained a top revenue generator nationally. Members questioned Orlando travel reimbursements and dues to the Multi-State Lottery Association, and asked for more information on how increased revenue translates into more Bright Futures scholarships. Davis said he would provide additional details. The subcommittee then unanimously passed two conforming bills. PCB SAB 25-01 removed statutory references to the legacy FLAIR accounting system in preparation for Florida PALM and was reported favorably. PCB SAB 25-02 addressed Capitol Center space after the planned House lease cancellation, declaring the governor, cabinet, and legislature permanent tenants, protecting existing space and parking allocations, giving the legislature first right of refusal on vacant space, and giving legislative leaders control over utilities in their space; it also passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned after the bills were reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are there appearance forms?
• Are there appearance forms?
• Are there appearance forms? We have several. Okay.
• Are there speaker appearance forms? >> Not on the amendment. Okay. The seeing none.
• Alright, appearance forms will do so we have 5 of them will do a minute half each.

Keywords: 999, senate, all